Breath of Fire: Silver Reign
by LauncesMechinist
Summary: Orphaned by the death of their Father in war and their Mother to a group of Slayers, two young siblings who share the blood of the dragon will embark upon a quest to rid the land of an evil tyrant. Along the way, they shall be helped by several comrades including one that they never suspected. Split into three parts: child, teen, adult.
1. Innocence Lost

Alright everyone! I'm here with another story. While my poll on World Fury cooks for a while, I decided to take the opportunity to start a project I've I've been wanting to start for a while.

For those of you who are curious, I am a big Breath of Fire fan. Alas I've only played 1-3 so don't judge me too harshly. Anyway, I'm rambling again, so, here we go; I present to you all:

Breath of Fire: Silver Reign

Also, before you pass judgement on the first part, please read the whole prologue before you cast any stones. (plus repair bills on this type of computer are expensive, so I'd appreciate it if no stones were actually thrown) Thank you. Please review and let me know what you all think.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

PLEASE ENJOY THE STORY.

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Part 1: Ryu, The Child

Prologue: Innocence Lost

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 _"Y-You don't understand! I thought you were dead! DEAD! You were missing for three years after fighting in a war you were forced into! How was I supposed to know you still lived?!"_

 _A woman cries this as her husband, long thought killed in the war on a foreign shore comes home, his once brightly polished armor dull and dirty, his bright blue cape faded, soaked, and torn. Even his blade now lies in its scabbard, ignored and forgotten. The man stares at the swell of his wife's belly. She is pregnant with a child that he knows is not his._

 _By all rights he should be angry, yet he cannot be angry with her, only himself. What possible anger could there be towards his beloved? She thought him dead, she moved on. The man had vented his anger years ago against his enemies and then his captors. In place of anger was regret and sadness. He loved her, of that there could be no doubt. But now, seeing her like this, he is grateful his helm's viser obscures his face so that she cannot see his tears._

 _His mouth is dry. His voice refuses vehemontly to speak. He gazes at his daughter, who he last saw four years ago when she was but a baby, asleep on her bed, unaware her daddy had finally come home. But the home is broken._

 _With a hole in his heart, the man turns and leaves, hoping to escape before anger takes the place of his sadness. He looks back at his wife one last time._

 _"Do not follow me Aurora. I still love you, and it is because of that love I must now leave. Perhaps, when my blood is cooled and my memories of the war are but distant memories, I shall return. Until then, I leave this for the child, should he be a boy, so that he can protect you and his sister."_

 _The man unbuckles the sword, and lets it fall away, landing in the mud outside the home. He then departs into the pounding rain. Even with her unique gifts, she can only see so far into the rain. His outline blurs, fades, then is gone. The woman closes the door, craddling the infant within her._

 _"Forgive me."_

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( _ten years later_ )

With a yell, the boy plunged through the bushes, only to sigh in annoyance as he heard his sister's laugh echo from elsewhere. His face reddening in embarrassment, he cupped his hands and yelled.

"Sara! C'mon, you know throwing your voice is against the rules!"

Laughter echoes again, this time much closer. The boy looks around until he feels something tap his shoulder. Looking around, he sees his sister, in her other form. He pauses, dumbstruck as she grins, baring some of her fangs, and roars loudly.

The force of the wind blows the boy backwards and into the shallow stream that flowed by the house. The boy shakes his head, his blue hair falling over his eyes then shaking it clear.

"N-No f-fair! That's cheating!" His sister reverts to her less frightening form and smiles.

"Now, now, Ryu, don't start crying again. Mother says that the only way to transform is to rely on instinct. When we dragons are startled in our human forms, we naturally want to take on our dragon bodies to defend ourselves. So it's not cheating if I scare you with a roar."

Ryu pouted and looked away from his older sister.

"I think you just like scaring me!" Sara grinned and helped her baby brother out of the stream.

"Well, you're partly right. The other is that you scare _too_ easily. What would our ancestors or other dragons think about a dragon who scares at the sound of a pin drop? Let's face it, you can't even hold Father's sword properly yet." Ryu wiped the silt off his breeches and then looked to the house, instinctively picturing the old sword hanging on the wall. His mind quickly went to another topic.

"Though not for lack of trying. When will Mom be back? She went flying some time ago." Sara shrugged.

"I don't know, Ryu, she's been in a slump since this morning. I think today's the day Father died all those years ago. It's no wonder she took off flying." Ryu looked to the sky, watching the clouds roll by.

"Sara, what was Dad like?" Sara placed her hand on her chin, it was her tell that she was thinking.

"I don't really recall his face. I only saw him once or twice but whenever Mom talks of him, she speaks of him with pride but with regret. I know she loved him dearly but she never told me why he went to war." Ryu looked at his sister and was about to speak when a growling noise interrupted his thoughts. Sara immediately looked around, then laughed.

"Ryu, for such a kid you certainly have a dragon-sized appitite. Let's go inside, it looks like it may rain soon." Ryu blushed a bit but then glancing at the sky, he nodded.

"Yeah, I hope Mom gets back soon."

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She noticed the sun beginning to drop below the horizon. Judging from the skyline of the Dragonia Mountains, she must have been somewhere close to Nettali. It was getting late and the storm was approaching. Unbidden thoughts came to her mind of that night ten years ago, her husband, her mate, leaving in the middle of a storm and never being seen or heard from again. The day after, she had flown to the port city of Hiro and inquired after him. All she had learned was that he had booked passage to a foreign land on a ship heading east. She had went back home only for a few days later to learn the ship her mate had been on had been lost at sea near the Island of Mists with no hope for survivors. Every year on this day she made the trip to Hiro and placed flowers on the grave that had been built for the ship's crew and passnegers.

She had been there today and was now returning home. A satchel tied around her neck bulged with food and other things she had bought while in town. Her gaze sharpened as she sensed something coming. Without warning, and with no time to evade, a large object came flying up at her.

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Lightning flashed and thunder rattled the windows of the house as Ryu and Sara sat at the table eating warmed up leftovers from lunch. In the middle of swallowing a bite, Ryu glanced out of the window and watched the rain fall. He looked to his sister.

"I'm worried. She hasn't come back yet." Sara looked out the window and sighed.

"I know, you've said as much several times already. Listen, a storm like this is no problem for Mom, when she comes back it'll be all right, you'll see."

A loud noise outside got their attention. Ryu immediately recognized the sound of his Mother landing. Without waiting, he leapt from the table and ran for the door.

"Mom!" Sara smiled gently, but then she smelled a scent, a pungent, coppery scent she had smelled whenever Mother would go out hunting or whenever she, Mother, and Ryu would go the the marketplace in Nettali. This time though, the scent was mixed with her Mother's scent. She rose from the table, color draining from her face and called for her brother even as he flung open the door. Then, she heard Ryu let loose a blood-curdling scream. A child's scream of terror.

Sara ran outside into the rain and beheld a sight that scared her worse than anything. Her's and Ryu's Mother lay on the ground, a large ballista bolt protruding from her body. She lay panting and growling on the ground. As Ryu came closer, Sara heard her Mother speak.

 _"Sara! H-Humans! Dragonslayers! Get Ryu to safety! Now!"_ Sara shook her head, not understanding. Then, she saw lanterns and torches in the distance.

"Ryu! Over here quickly!" Ryu looked at her as if she was crazy.

"No! Not without Mom! C'mon Mom shift! You can hide with us! Please!" Ryu heard his Mother sigh softly.

 _"Would that I could my son. Alas I am too weak. This-This wound is a mortal wound. At least I can protect you and your sister one more time. Now go."_

Sara grabbed Ryu by the shirt and clapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him to the hidden door to the den below. The house served as a home and for appearances, the door marked by a stone however, was the door to the den. It was into the den Sara carried Ryu and then sealed the door with her magic. Huddled together, they awaited the danger to pass.

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The rain fell upon her scales. If it wasn't for the current problem and for the bolt in her abdomen, Aurora would have enjoyed the sensation. She remembered the first time she met the man who would become her mate. It was a day like today; she had overexerted herself against a monster that was killing humans from a village on the other side of the mountains. She was just about to be struck down by the creature when a powerful lightning spell struck the creature. When the spots vanished from her eyes, she saw a human clad in simple cuirass and hefting a broadsword and shield. She never forgot how he cleaved the monster in half with one swing of his sword, the very _air_ split the creature in half and the ground was rent asunder.

At that moment, her strength failed her and she reverted to her human form to save her remaining strength and try to repair the damage done. Then, as she began to slip into the unconciousness, she felt a warm light engulf her. She felt her wounds closing and felt strong hands pick her up and begin carrying her.

 _"Why? Why are you healing me?"_ She had asked. Her savior chuckled as he walked.

 _"It is not in my nature to allow such a strong and beautiful woman to die. Furthermore, I saw what you really are, and I cannot let such a wonderous creature perish like this. Most see dragons as monsters, as agents of doom, but not I. My life was saved by a dragon once and I always intended on finding he or she and repaying my debt. I don't know if you were that dragon who protected my hometown of Balthan years ago but nevertheless, I cannot let an innocent suffer. That's just the kind of man I am."_

She had thought him a fool, but...he was an honest fool. Over the next year or so they had traveled the world helping villages and slaying monsters. With him by her side, she had no qualms about revealing her true self to the people and indeed the people had noticed. Her warrior had become known as the 'Silver Knight'; a champion of the just, she had become known as the 'Silver Tempest' due to her affinity for lightning magic. The two of them were unstoppable and eventually, their bond grew so deep that one night, under a dazzling shower of stars, they had joined and a few days later, she told him she had conceived.

They were wed a month later and came to Rotheschild to escape public notice. With his own two hands, he built this house and helped her excavate the lair. When their daughter was born and war came to Rotheschild, he was called to train the militia and then he fought to keep them safe.

Aurora's nostalgia was interrupted by the sound of laughter, even before that though, an awful stench befouled the air. The stench of death, no, of _undeath_. She looked to see a man clad in black armor striding toward her. The stench rolled from the figure like a tide. Even in dragon form she felt herself getting sick.

"I...I don't know what manner of creature you are...but if you think you can kill me with a simple bolt from a poorly aimed ballista you are sorely mistaken." The figure made a rattling, rasping sound, muffled by the helmet, sounded like he was trying to breathe but was actually _laughter_. The figure spoke, a low and lisping noise as if his tongue had been the first thing to rot away.

"Lethsh not be to hashty, my dear. I wouldth indeedth be ashamedth ifth you were asth easy to kill asth that. Asth you have no doubt guesseth, I am shuffering from a dark cursh. One that I believe you can help me be rid of."

"I don't help the undead, but I'll be glad to send you back to Hell!"

Aurora let loose a powerful lightningbolt that split the ground where the armor clad figure stood. The bolt knocked him back onto his subordinates who then got up and ran at her, weapons drawn.

Using her tail, wings, and claws, she cut down the men left and right, her fury unmistakeable, her wrath unquenchable. An archer hastily fired a burning arrow at her. He misssed her but the pitch-soaked arrow went through the window. Sparing a glance to the house, she saw the fire had caught and was already burning. Turning back to the fight, she bit the archer who had fired the flaming arrow in half and flung his remains at his fellows. Then, turning back, she saw another archer dipping an arrow into a small pot of some sort. He was out of range but these other fools weren't.

She focused on rending those closest to her and even landing a good hit on the armored undead, sending him back towards the archer who was now drawing the bow back. To her surprise, the figure stood and held a hand towards the archer, his command coming too late as the archer released the bowstring.

 _"No!"_

The arrow flew straight and true, piercing Aurora in the chest over her heart. She immediately felt the poison on the arrow taint her blood, and used the last of her magic to fire one last bolt of lightning at a retreating enemy. As her head laid down on the wet grass and her eyes dimmed, she saw the undead disembowl the archer and yell a string of curses to the high heavens. The undead then uttered a dark spell and vanished in a wisp of smoke as the sun broke thought the clouds and the rain stopped. Her dimming eyes looked towards the heavens and she heaved a great sigh, too weak to say anything.

 _(My love, my Knight, I am coming. I fear for the children but know they will survive. Together, we shall watch over them.)_

Aurora took one last rattling breath and was still, while in the distance, the house, her home burned to the ground. A few hours later, the stone door sealing the lair opened. Allowing Ryu and Sara to bear witness to the horror unleashed, and their Mother's final act of love.

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Whew! How about that? Prologue is complete and is ready for your eyes to read and enjoy. Again, please review the story and let me know how I'm doing. While working on World Fury I will try to split my time evenly between World Fury and Silver Reign. Your reviews help give me the push I need to write the next part.

Anyway, thanks again for reading, and you all have a nice day."


	2. Unwilling Beginnings

Okay everyone, I'm back once again for the next chapter of Silver Reign. Nothing much happening except I FINALLY have some free time to type this up. My life is like something out of a book. Volunteer Firefighter/Caretaker by day, writer by night. Oh well, I enjoy what I do and you know what they say, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

But enough about me, you all came to read a good chapter, so here it is.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

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Chapter 1: Unwilling Beginnings

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Ryu combed through the wreckage of the house trying to find something, _anything_ he could salvage or save. Yet time after time he was met with disappointment. It had been three days since Mother had died. In death, her body reverted to human form. The day after the attack, a group of humans came from the town of Nettali upon seeing the smoke. The Mayor of the village, Nash, took Sara and Ryu in and allowed them to stay while their mother was seen to.

For the last three days Ryu had done nothing but cry. Sara had kept herself busy by helping Mayor Nash's wife with the chores in the home while Mayor Nash and others buried Aurora. On the fourth day, Ryu and Sara were brought to the meadow of flowers behind their home, miraculously untouched. There they found the grave the men had dug for their mother. A tombstone at the head of the grave etched in the shape of a roaring dragon grasping a plaque stood before them. It was inscribed on the plaque the dragon held in its foreclaws:

 _Here Lies Aurora, the Silver Tempest._

 _Mate and Loving Wife to the Silver Knight,_

 _Loving Mother of Sara and Ryu,_

 _Guardian of Nettali Village,_

 _Sentinel of the Dragonia Mountains._

 _May She Find The Peace She Sought In Life._

It was at the funeral that Sara finally wept, but for Ryu, his tears had long since ceased. Now his heart was filled with a longing to find and punish those responsible for this. It was what led him to search the ruins of the house for the blade his father left. Guided by instinct and memory, he found the place where the sword had hung. Digging through the ashes, he cut his hand on an exposed edge of the sword.

Gently grabbing it and picking it up, what he saw dismayed him. The leather and wood scabbard was gone, completely destroyed in the fire. As for the broadsword, the top half of the blade was melted and warped and actually broke off when Ryu gave it a practice swing. Staring at the remains of the sword, Ryu vaguely wondered if the village blacksmith, a wolfman named Aargh, could repair the blade so that it could be usable.

As he continued to search the house, he walked into the space that was once his room. As he moved to where the bed was, he gave a joyful shout as he saw something he had thought lost. Ryu leapt forward and dug through the remains of his old toy chest and found a curved piece of wood at the bottom. Pulling it out, he flipped it in the air experimentally, then cocked his left arm back and tossed the boomerang with all his might.

The boomerang arced through the air, making it subtle whistling sound as it spun around before reversing its course and coming close enough to Ryu for him to catch it. As he looked over the toy, he heard a noise behind him, something stirring the ashes of the house. Ryu sighed, guessing who it was.

"Nice try Sara; but I heard you coming."

Silence. Ryu began to feel uneasy and slowly turned, suddenly remembering that Sara had _never_ made a mistake 'stalking' him when they played together.

"Sara?" Ryu turned and came face to face with a creature Mother had told him about before, a Beak. The monster lunged back and came forward to attack, knocking Ryu out of the remains of the house. Getting back up, Ryu noticed he'd dropped the remains of his father's sword. All he'd held onto was the boomerang.

Ryu gripped the boomerang in a familiar groove and toosed it at the Beak with all his strength. Seeing it coming, the Beak dodged the first attack but was unaware the toy-turned-weapon was reeling about until it struck it from behind. Ryu reached up and grabbed the boomerang as it landed and then looked at the monster before him.

The Beak had a knot coming out of its head and suddenly let out a cry that stunned Ryu. Seconds later, another, louder cry filled the air. Ryu looked up and gasped. Apparently he'd just beaned a little Beak, and it had called for its momma.

The Momma Beak looked between its child and Ryu and noticed the bump on the head and the boomerang in Ryu's hand. It scowled ferociously, it was so angry that a vein stood out in relief on its head and shrieked loudly.

Before Ryu could act, the little Beak charged forward and began pecking him. While he was distracted, he didn't see the Momma Beak began to charge at him. It struck with such force Ryu actually saw stars for a moment. As he struggled to his feet, the Beaks began to come at him again. However, Ryu heard something from behind him.

 _"I Call Upon The Sky To Stop My Foes: Jolt!"_

A series of small lightningbolts fell from the sky and struck the two monsters. Ryu turned and saw his sister standing there, a staff in hand.

Sara came running up, a fearful expression on her face.

"Ryu! Are you alright?!" Ryu eased up and stretched his arms and legs, nodding.

"I'm scratched up but, I'm okay. I didn't know monsters lived so close to home."

"They didn't when Mother was alive. Now that she's gone, their coming closer. Ryu, can you fight?" Ryu glanced at his boomerang which, sadly, was broken in that last attack.

"My boomerang's broke." Sara looked at the old toy and nodded.

"Okay then, stand behind me."

Ryu did as he was told and watched his sister. The Beaks, now recovered, looked even angrier than before and prepared to charge. Sara remained calm and began focusing her energy on her body and began the incantation she'd heard Mother say every time she shifted forms.

 _"Firia, Aqueri, Gaia, Aeri, Lumos...I Accend!"_

A bright light covered Sara's body and the Beaks stopped their attack in confusion. The light was so bright that Ryu actually shielded his eyes for a moment. As the light faded, he heard the heavy breathing. Opening his eyes, he saw his sister before him in dragon form. Granted, she was no where near as big as Mother but still, this was her true form.

White and silver scales covered Sara's body, her eyes glowed with a fierce redish-pink light, she balanced easily on two legs, flared her wings out and roared loudly. Ryu saw the expression of the two monsters change from shock to absolute fear. Without any preamble, the monsters turned and ran. Sara gave a huff and in a flash of light, reverted back to her human form.

"Well, I'm glad they decided to run rather than fight. Ryu, what were you thinking? You should have told me you were coming to the house to try and find something. You could have gotten killed if I hadn't sensed you were in danger." Ryu hung his head sadly.

"I-I know sis, but I wanted to try and find something _anything_ of Mom's and Dad's." Sara looked at him curiously.

"Did you?" Ryu held up the destroyed sword for her to see.

"Hmm, I see. Well, anyway, let's go back to town. There was something that Mayor Nash wanted to tell me when I left to find you. While we go there, you can drop the sword off at the smithy." Ryu sighed, then nodded.

"Alright. I wonder what the Mayor wants to tell us."

"I don't know. But we will once we get there."

Taking his sister by the hand, Ryu and Sara walked back to the town gates.

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Ryu remembered the first time his mother had brought him to Nettali when he was four. The sights, sounds, and people were just incredible. Although Mother had told him she'd seen bigger towns and cities and even places called metropolises. Once he had asked her why she chose to live so close to a small town when she knew of these larger places. Her answer was because the place was small. Larger cities had militaries and guards that could stop trouble. Small towns had only militias made up of volunteers from the town.

Here, in this town, she could protect them. In fact, if she hadn't stayed here, she would never have met their Father the day she explored the other side of the mountain range. These people knew about dragons, knew the _truth_ about dragonkind. They knew about here and once she and her mate had returned, they vowed to keep her secret from any who would claim to be dragonslayers. When Father died, it was the love of the people and her children that had kept her going.

The sound of metal striking metal let Ryu know he had reached the smithy. Sara went on ahead to the Mayor's home while he stepped under the shed. The heat from the forge was intense. Ryu found himself wondering again how one of the wolfmen from the far north could stand to work a forge with their thick fur, yet, Aargh could do it, and did it without question or complaint.

As Ryu came around the building, he heard the clanging stop and came face to face with Aargh. The smith smiled and set the hammer aside.

"Ryu, my lad, welcome! Listen lad, I'I'm sorry about your Mom. She-She was a wonderful woman. I was glad to have known her and your sister and you. I knew your Father as well. Heh, I see you have his sword there. Here, let me take a look."

Ryu handed Aargh the sword and he looked it over and sighed.

"Shame. I remember the first time I saw this sword in action. It was during an attack on the village, your Mother and Father swooped in and saved us all. Your Mother, using her dragon form to strike down all before her and your Father, sword and shield blocking and attacking, his armor flashing in the midday sun, the spring wind whipping his blue cape. I can't count how many times I repaired and sharpened his armor and sword. It looks like this old sword might be on it's last days, but, I _think_ I can fix it one last time." Aargh took the sword and carried it to his forge and looked it over.

"Give me a few hours or perhaps a day. I can't repair the sword to way it was, too much metal missing, but I can make you something else, perhaps a shortsword or a gladius-style weapon. Hmm...here, take this. A boy doesn't become a man until he can hold at least a knife. Now then, off with you, I've got this to work on and you've got somewhere else to be if I'm not mistaken."

Ryu smiled as Aargh turned and placed the ruined sword in the forge to heat up. He then turned and left the smithy and walked down the street, mud squelching under his boots. A little ways down the street, he saw the Mayor's house. Stepping up to the door and knocking, he was greeted by Rupert, the butler.

"Master Ryu, welcome. Master Nash and Lady Sara have been waiting for you. This way please, sir."

Going through the large home, Ryu found his sister and Mayor Nash in the study in the back of the house. Once he entered the room, Rupert shut the door behind him, getting Nash's attention.

Mayor Nash was a rotund man with a thinning head of hair, his wife, Maria, was always kind and polite and their two children, Edwin and Annia, always played with him. Though he was often times a serious-minded individual, but he did have a jovial side.

The Mayor waved Ryu in and motioned to a chair beside his Sara. Once he sat, Nash looked at a portrait in the study and was taken aback. It was no secret the Mayor's wife was a painter and that she made a point of painting everyone who lived or came through the village. Apparently, their Mother was no exception.

Her portrait hung on the left side of the town portrait, a painting of the town with all its citizens. She stood alongside Sara and held a baby Ryu in her arms. A silver shaped dragon shadow behind her was the only give-away as to her true nature. Nash sat down before them and sighed.

"Ryu, Sara, again I'm so, so sorry about your mother. She was a wonderful woman and a good friend. Now then, Sara, I wanted to speak to the two of you because of a letter I recieved a few days ago. A few weeks ago your Mother had me contact an old friend of mine in regards to finding your Father's kin. Turns out, he had a brother in Bastiova." Sara looked at Nash curiously.

"Bastiova? Where is that?" Nash pulled a map out of his desk and unrolled it, Ryu saw on the map the town of Nattali in the Rotheschild Republic, then followed Nash's finger far to the north of the map to another continent entirely, this one named ' _Empire of Tarantos_ '. Bastiova was marked with a star on the map indicating it was the capital city. Sara gulped at the distance.

"Ryu, Sara, I know this is sudden and I loathe that it had to happen but, to be honest, the citizens of the town are scared. If whatever killed your Mother came back, the entire town would be destroyed. As Mayor, I cannot take that risk. Therefore, not only for the safety of the village, but also for your own safety, I must ask you to leave and travel to your uncle. As your Mother once said, ' _A moving target is a difficult target_ '."

Sara and Ryu looked to protest but were silenced by Nash raising his hand.

"Not to worry, I've already sent payment ahead to Hiro for passage for two to Anchorage. From there, you will travel up the Keiban River to Bastiova. From there, you will be go to your uncle's home and that's it." Ryu looked at Nash, shock evident in his eyes.

"Mayor Nash? Why?" Nash sighed and rolled the map back up.

"I'm sorry Ryu. I truly had no choice." At that moment, two members of the militia, Bart and Ciggs, came in, armor and weapons ready. Nash turned to them.

"Men, escort Sara and Ryu out of the village. If need be, drag them, just get them out of my town." Sara looked at Nash in shock.

"Mayor! Why are you-" Nash turned his back on them.

"Please you two, go quietly. I have no other options." At that moment, a loud yell came through and Bart and Ciggs were knocked down, there standing in the door was the smith, Aargh, in armor, with a hammer in his right hand.

"Nash! You spineless coward! You do not wish to see these children safely away! The men who killed their Mother are just outside the main gate!" As Nash looked downcast at the fireplace, Aargh turned to Sara and Ryu.

"You two, with me, now! Nash, I'll be taking your map. As for the smithy, find someone else. I quit! Ryu, catch."

Aargh tossed Ryu a short sword in a scabbard. As Ryu drew it, he recognized the blade as that of his father's sword he'd handed to Aargh earlier. Stepping over the two unconcious guardsmen, Ryu, Sara, and Aargh charged through the back door and across the street behind the Mayor's house. A door opened up and Aargh saw the miller beckoning them in.

"Quick you two! Get inside!"

Running into the home, the miller shut the door behind them, a purplexed look on his face.

"Aargh, what in Heaven's name is happening?!" Aargh growled as he went to the window.

"Nash sold Ryu and Sara out to the bastards who killed their Mother. Victor, I need to use your boat." The miller, Victor, looked at him curiously.

"Of course I'll lend you my boat but what for?"

"We'll ride the river to safety." Victor went wide-eyed and shook his head.

"No! Absolutely not! Do you know how dangerous the currents are this time of year? I already lost one employee this season and I'm not about to lose my best friend and two children to these rapids!"

"Victor, I'm sorry but we don't have a choice in the matter. Either we get out of the village or we hang, it's that simple." Victor's eyes went wide as he mouthed the word 'hang'. He then looked to Ryu and Sara and held their gaze for a moment, then sighed.

"Oh, all right. On your own heads be it. Just, one thing Aargh; you're going to have to knock me out. I know the Mayor is scum for this but he has his own family to think of, perhaps it was for their sake? Anyway, if these people who killed Aurora _do_ come after you, I want you to make it look as if you forced your way past me. I got pregnant wife to think of remember?" Aargh nodded and apologized before using his bare fist to club the miller over the head. He then guided Ryu and Sara to the boat tied at the back dock.

"Victor uses this boat to get up and down the river. As he said, in this season the river is unpredictable at best. Ryu, Sara, leave the rowing and steering this boat to me, you two just lay back and hang on for the ride of your lives."

Ryu and Sara did as they were told as Aargh untied the boat and shoved off from the dock. Grabbing the oar in back, he began to furiously row with all his might. Over his shoulder, Aargh heard a few shouts and cries of alarm and also heard the bell in the tower begin ringing, this in turn spurred him on harder.

Ahead, he saw the militia preparing to close the floodgates and if that happened they'd be trapped. Sara got up and mumbled an incantaion and launched a _massive_ fireball at the wooden floodgates, splintering them and clearing the way for the boat which was just beginning to be picked up by the current. Aargh, rebalanced himself in the boat to give him more control over the direction and yelled as loud as he could.

"Hang onto something kids, we're going downriver!"

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( _whistling the theme to the Midas River from Super Mario RPG)_

Oh! Hello there, everyone, didn't see you all there. So! How do you like the story so far? If you like it, I'm glad. So, Ryu, Sara, and their newest companion Aargh seem to be heading into a fast current river. Let's hope Aargh doesn't have to teach Ryu and Sara how to doggie paddle on short notice.

The journey has begun! Next time: A Rapid Escape. _(I know, that joke was_ _ **awful**_ _. But it was either that or 'The Current Conundrum'.)_


	3. A Rapid Escape

Okay guys, I'm back again with another Breath of Fire chapter. I've got my pizza and my Pepsi for fuel and here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE SERIES. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 2: A Rapid Escape

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Ryu gasped as the boat hit a particularly rough wave current and tossed him backwards into the boat. He heard Aargh growl in annoyance as he struggled to control the boat.

"Ryu! Your best chance is to stay down. You won't be doing your sister or me any favors by being thrown into these rapids!"

Ryu looked at the large wolfman and sat down without a word. Sara gazed ahead and sighed.

"Aargh, do you think we'll ever see home again?" Aargh shook his head.

"That's something I've been wondering about myself." Ryu took the moment and looked back at Aargh.

"Why did you save us from Nash and those men? As far back as I remember, Mother only ever said a few words to you and you a few words to her." Aargh chuckled at Ryu's boldness and stared ahead, watching the rapids carefully.

"It's not because of your Mother. It's your Father whom I owed a debt to. Many years back, before you two were even thought of and before I became a blacksmith, I was out hunting...what's with that look? We wolfmen are natural hunters. Anyway, one day I was out hunting. I was on the trail of this big, fat boar in the tall plains when suddenly I was attacked by several creatures the likes of which I'd never seen. Now, don't get me wrong, I can handle slimes, beaks, and their ilk, but these monsters...they were beyond me. Remember, this was before either of you were born, back when _I_ was a pup who thought himself ten foot tall and immortal. Like a fool I stood and fought the unknown instead of running. My attacks did nothing except make them angrier, and hungrier. A few good attacks from the creatures saw my bow broken, my hunting knives hurled into the brush somewhere, and me flat on my tail and near death. As my vision faded, I saw a warrior leap out of the grass and impale the largest of the creatures with his sword. The others turned tail and fled. After that, I was out."

Ryu stared at the smith wide-eyed with amazement, both at the fact there was something out there that even Aargh couldn't defeat and that his Father had saved the smith's life. By this time, Sara had turned and was also paying attention to Aargh as he paused a moment for breath.

"When I came to, your Father was standing over a fire he had made and I was laid out on a bedroll, my wounds had been bandaged. Looking over at the fire, I saw he had spitted a thick slab of boar meat and was roasting it over the flames. Nearby was the carcass with one of _my_ arrows still sticking out of it. _He_ had claimed the boar _I_ was hunting. My first instinct was outrage but, thankfully, my parents raised me better than to argue with the man who saved my life. We ate our fill and then he surprised me by helping me butcher the rest of the boar and helping me carry it back to the village. He stayed in town for a few days while our old smith repaired his equipment, then he left. I thought I'd never see him again until some years later he came back with a wife looking ready to pop at any moment and seeking a plot of land for a home. I personally forged the nails and iron fittings for him at no charge as I remembered what he had done for me. Three days after the house was started, Sara was born. The rest is history."

Sara couldn't believe her ears. Her Father had saved Aargh's life all those years ago? Mother had told both her and Ryu so many stories about their Father but they hardly seemed real yet here was this grizzled blacksmith telling them the tale of how their Father had saved his life. It was almost to fantastic to believe.

Chuckling at the two children's wide-eyed amazement, Aargh continued watching the current as the boat sped along the river which, thankfully seemed to be slowing down some Aargh nodded as if seeing some unknown, invisible waymarker and half-smiled.

"We're halfway to Hiro. Once there, we can book passage on a ship. I don't think Nash was lying about that part but still, it's only passage for two. I'll need to come up with two-hundred and fifty zenny for the trip."

As the boat sailed along, the fog cleared onto the far end of the small lake nearby, allowing Aargh to catch sight of a large structure.

"Hah, well look there. Ryu! Sara! Look over there! That's Chevron Dam. It's what keeps the the river here from flooding. Before the dam was built, these plains flooded regularly and would often put Nettali's streets under a one to two feet of water. Amazing how much changes in thirty years."

Ryu looked where Aargh indicated and saw a large castle-like structure straddling the river and anchored on both sides by large towers. Looking closer, Ryu could see water pouring from holes in the dam's side. He pointed to these and then looked at Aargh who laughed when Ryu voiced what he thought.

"No, no. Don't worry Ryu, those are the spillways which are also called floodgates which allow water behind the dam to empty into the lake which in turn feeds the stream. They open whenever the lake behind the dam reaches a certain level. At present, it is the season for growing crops and as such, the plains and the villages here need plenty of water. The floodgates only open twice during the year, once during crop season and again during drought. During the rains and winter they stay shut as to avoid flooding. The dam is well guarded so there should be no problem should it be attacked, and it's built solid so nothing can leak through. I should know, I was behind most of the iron work for the dam. Hrm...I wonder who they'll get to check the dam now that I'm leaving?" Ryu and Sara looked at him with stunned expressions and he nodded, answering them before they could speak.

"I very well can't return to Nettali now can I? Nash is an easy-going fellow but he won't forgive me for knocking out two of the strongest militiamen out cold in his home. It's best that I seek to ply my trade elsewhere. From what I've heard, it should be easy to get a smithing position in Windia. Or maybe I'll find work in the Empire. Who knows?" Ryu sighed and looked back at the front then back to Aargh.

"Sorry about getting you involved in this Aargh." The wolfman stared at Ryu and then laughed instead of his usual wolf-like chuckle.

"Don't worry yourself Ryu! Knocking those two blockheads out was the most fun I've had in years. Besides, they owed me plenty of zenny for fixing the equipment they broke all those months ago and Nash wouldn't let me get at them because they were members of the militia. I wasn't going to make enough zenny in Nettali anyway, truth be told, and I was already planning to seek greener pastures. Heck, I still haven't even found a she-wolf who doesn't rub my fur the wrong way every time I speak to her. One of these days though..."

Ryu turned away as Aargh began to stare at the sky, a daydreaming expression on his face. Sara on the other hand was scanning the shore and also looking down the river. She apparently noticed something and turned back to Aargh.

"Up ahead! It looks like trouble." Aargh cut his daydream off and looked downriver, he saw two villagers from the small settlement of Chevron, a town built at the foot of the dam so that the soldiers guarding it year round could be with their families. One was an elderly man and the other was a young woman. Aargh eased his rowing and brought the boat closer to shore where the elderly man tossed a line to Ryu.

After Ryu and Sara were aboard, Aargh got out of the boat and walked up to the old man, recognition in his eyes.

"Old Tegan! How have you been? Err...what's wrong?" Old Tegan lowered his eyes and then nodded.

"A few nights ago, some people brought a mysterious woman to the village and later took her to the dam. Now we can't get the attention of the garrison and the gates are sealed shut. I'm worried about my son. He's a member of the guard there. Anne here also has her husband in the garrison and he hasn't come home from his watch in about a week. He doesn't even know his son has become sick. Turner, one of the garrison soldiers not on watch, managed to get into the dam through the spillway but he hasn't been seen since. Aargh, you know the dam inside and out, heck, you all but built the thing. Please, we need your help." Aargh looked to Ryu and then to Sara.

"I wish I could but, these two are my charges and I cannot abandon them." Tegan nodded.

"Anne and I can watch them for you. Please Aargh, if anything happens to the dam at this time of year-" Aargh nodded, apparently knowing full well the consequences if the dam broke or failed.

"If the dam failed now, at the very beginning of the growing season, Chevron, and every small settlement and farm from here to Nettali will be swept away by the floodwaters. Heck, I doubt even Nettali would survive. Alright, but if I'm gone for more than a day, swear to me these two young ones will be guided to Hiro. There is a ship there chartered to take them to their Uncle in Bastiova." Tegan nodded and then guided Ryu, Sara, and Aargh to the settlement of Chevron.

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Tegan gave a few coins to the innkeeper and told him of Aargh going to the dam. To Ryu's surprise, the innkeeper gave Tegan back the coins upon eyeing both him and Sara. The innkeeper's wife noticed Ryu's confusion and explained what her husband was doing.

"My husband is never a man to turn away help when it's offered, nor does he charge people or their companions anything when they do something for the town. That's just the sort of man he is."

Aargh took a moment to examine what he had to work with. Thankfully, the Chevon blacksmith had an extra warhammer in stock to replace his old smithing hammer as well as a new leather and chain cuirass as well as chain-backed leather breeches to replace his old armor and cloth pants. Aargh hefted the weapon experimentally and nodded at the weight.

"It's a big difference between a smithing hammer and a warhammer, still the only thing that matters is that, whether it's metal or a head, it gets hit by a hammer, it's flat." The smith turned to Ryu and Sara, his face a mask of seriousness.

"Ryu, Sara, if I'm not back in a day, you listen to Tegan and do exactly what he says. Do _not_ try to come after me in the dam, do you understand?" Ryu looked as if he wanted to protest but Sara nodded, simultaniously elbowing Ryu in the ribs. Aargh noticed this but didn't say anything, instead, he nodded and left the inn, closing the door behind him gently. Ryu looked crossly at Sara who said nothing and went up to her room.

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Thunder rolled in the distance as Aargh walked along the road to the dam. Sure enough as Tegan had said, the metal plates that served as 'locks' were down over the doors as was the portcullis. He had designed them that way naturally. A wooden door served as the entrance but in the event of an attack, a wheel inside cranked a chain which lowered a thick slab of 'pig iron' over the door, protecting it from fire, battering rams, and even monster attacks. The portcullis added extra distance between the iron slab and the outside. Murder holes placed above the doors gave archers a way to shoot anyone trying to break through and gave the door extra protection. The dam, for all intents and purposes was impregnable.

At least, on paper it was.

Aargh had been the smith in charge of most of the metal work during construction. He'd been brought on after the fool who'd been hired before him placed iron work over the doors and toilets instead of where they had been supposed to go. Aargh had come in, redone all the previous work, and then set to work doing what he needed to do. However, there was one gap in the defences. Aargh had contemplated putting grates over the spillways but the original commander of the fort part of the dam spoke against it, thinking it ludicrous anyone would think of going through an open spillway. Yet, he had insisted that a small pier be placed on the opposite side of the dam in the event he wanted to go fishing in the fertile lake formed behind the dam.

Whether he knew it or not, the commander had built a backdoor into the dam that shattered any thought about it being a perfect defence. It was this weakness that Aargh now used as his entrance.

He eased himself down into the spillway and gasped a moment at the cold mountain snow-turned-river water, then grapsed the stone around the spillway and, taking a deep breath, flung himself into the spillway. Using the weathered stone as handholds, he pulled himself through the rushing water. He could feel the current pressing on his chest through the light armor. He felt his lungs beginning to ache and he redoubled his efforts to get through the spillway. Finally, just as his lungs were beginning to scream for air, he burst through the other side of the spillway and grabbed hold of a timber that was part of the pier. He heaved himself up onto the pier and collapsed, breathing heavily.

 _(Good thing the pier is still here. I'll rest a spell, then work my way to the door.)_

Before Aargh could get comfortable, he heard a creaking noise from the area above. He sighed, and then eased up to see what the ruckus was, and gasped.

 _(Looks like I might need more than a day to solve this problem...)_

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Alright! I suppose y'all could say I'm on a roll now with the story. Not to say I've forgotten about World Fury, I'm just waiting for the poll to age a little bit more. The World Fury Poll will be closing on **June 22nd**. If you all want to vote on it, now's the time to do so.

Anyway, the story is starting out well don't you think? Next chapter is the first, eh, 'dungeon' chapter.

Next time: Dark Water


	4. Dark Secrets

Hello! Hello! Hello! How are all of you doing on this grand day? I trust everyone enjoyed the Independance Day and Canada Day celebrations? I truly enjoyed the Fourth of July, not simply because of Independance Day, but because it was the day of my family reunion. Nothing could be better than enjoying good food and celebrating the birth of the USA with family. Add to that that I am now 26 and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

To be perfectly honest, I'm thinking about going fishing one of these days when I get the chance. One of the perks of living in the rural backwoods of Louisiana is that you can go into the woods, find a stream, a brook, or a creek, settle down with a fishing pole and just watch the day roll by. Plus, you never know what you might catch, plus, if I had the time I could really tell ya'll some stories about the woods around my home.

But ya'll are wanting to read the story so I'll save the backwoods stories for another day and time.

Also, sorry about the change in title but it was a last minute thing. I had one idea but then it didn't work. Hope you enjoy it all the same.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE SERIES. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 3: Dark Secrets

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The sun rose and set and rose again as Ryu and Sara waited at the inn for Aargh to return. The Mayor, not wanting to send two children off without someone who knew where they were headed, did nothing to send them off but neither did he send anyone up to the dam to check on Aargh or anybody else in the garrison. He spent his time going from between the inn to his home and then to the city 'hall' that served as his office, the justice court, the town watch office, and the tavern. Ryu and Sara had explored the town yesterday while waiting for Aargh to return and had also watched the villagers go about their daily lives. Today seemed like just another day until a storm came in and it began to rain.

Ryu sat by the window at the inn watching the rain fall and people rush into their homes to get out of the weather. Though Sara didn't show it, Ryu could sense she was worried about Aargh. He was the type of person that when he said he'd get it done today or be back in a day, he meant it. Ryu couldn't help but feel a little bit worried himself, even as the innkeeper's wife came and brought Ryu and Sara a bowl of hot beef stew for them to eat. He kept periodically glancing at the road to the dam and hoping to see Aargh coming down it. Twice he thought he saw a flash of light from the dam but then a bolt of lightning would flash and he'd shrug it off and go back to eating. Then, as he finished his stew, there was a flash of light brighter and longer than the rest and there was no accompanying clap of thunder.

Ryu held his gaze at the road for longer than he had previously until he saw the shadows move and shift. His eyes sharpened and he saw a figure coming down the road slowly. The innkeeper's wife saw the figure as well as Sara and they opened the door to the inn and stepped outside. Ryu stood by them but for some reason he couldn't shake a feeling of dread that seemed to come over him.

The approaching figure was taller than Aargh, leaner, and seemed to cant to one side as if he were limping. A glint of armor gave it away that this was _not_ Aargh but someone else. The wife yelled for her husband who went to a man slumped over the table and shook him awake. The man drunkenly moaned and got to his feet and came to the door. He spoke with an intoxicated lisp.

"D-Doctor Shhtanisshlaawv Creeiger aat yoursh shervice. (hic) Wheresh the paashunt?"

As the docter started off towards the injured man, Sara quickly tripped him and pointed to the injured man.

"It's not alive! It's an undead!"

The innkeeper's wife screamed as she leapt back inside and the undead came forward into the torchlight.

Sara readied a Flame spell and Ryu drew his shortsword and charged the corpsewalker. The zombie shambled towards Ryu when flames sprouted from all over its body. Undeterred, it kept coming forward until Ryu, acting fast, swung the shortsword in a broad arc that beheaded the undead menace.

As the corpse fell, a member of the town watch approched and looked over the body and gasped.

"I-It's Turner! My God how could this be?!" Ryu and Sara looked at the soldier.

"Turner? Wasn't he the man who went into the dam a little bit before Aargh?" The soldier looked at them and nodded.

"If Turner was turned into an undead at the dam then that means...oh, no! The garrison!"

At that moment, Tegan arrived and muttered a curse as he saw Turner's undead body. He turned and looked to the watch member.

"The dam and the garrison has fallen, dispatch a rider to the garrison at Hiro and another rider to Coldina Castle. Meanwhile, muster what men from the garrison and watch are left and put them on patrol through the town. No one goes near the dam."

Tegan turned to speak to Ryu and Sara but found them vanishing up the road that led to the dam. He started after them but a man in a red cloak stopped them.

"Wait, I'll go after them." Tegan looked at the man and sighed.

"The garrison is over one-thousand strong, or rather, it _was_. You and those children are going to your deaths." The cloaked man chuckled.

"Not to worry, sir, I know how to deal with the undead. It is my duty to do so as well."

With that, the cloaked man took off at a flat run to catch up with Ryu and Sara.

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Ryu and Sara arrived at the dam a short time later and found an astonishing sight. The doors stood wide open, the metal portcullis was blown out of its grooves and lay flat on the ground, and several undead garrison soldiers lay inside. Beyond however, another door barred their way. An undead that had apparently survived the fate of its fellows rose to fight both brother and sister but met the same fate as Turner's corpse. As they entered the dam, they heard someone coming up from behind them. Turning, ready to fight another undead, they instead came to face a tall man shrouded in a red cloak. The man held up his hands when Ryu leveled his sword at him.

"Whoa, there! Easy kiddo, no need for hostility. I'm here to help like you are." Sara scoffed at him.

"Really? All we want to do is find Aargh so that we can head to Hiro and then go to our uncle's home in Bastiova." The figure in the cloak smiled.

"Bastiova huh? Would it help my case if I told you _I'm_ from Bastiova? I'm a member of a group of soldiers who live there and also my order is based there...look out!"

Ryu and Sara jumped and dodged an undead soldier that had snuck up on them and then rejoined a group of his fellows. Both siblings turned to the cloaked man who held a stange weapon in his hands and was reciting a strange incantation.

 _"By the Light of the Just and the Will of the Divine, I cast out the Darkness which enslaves thee here: Aura!"_

Holy magic filled the room and the undead soldiers burned with white-blue flames for a moment and then vanished in a cloud of ash. Ryu and Sara looked at the man to find his hood had fallen back to reveal his tied back black hair and facial features. His face bore no scars yet they could see the experience in his vibrant blue-green eyes. His body was fairly masculine and stood rather tall. His wore full chain on his torso, arms, and legs, wore a simple grey surcoat, iron-backed leather gloves and boots. In his hands was a strange weapon that Ryu had never heard of before. It looked like a claymore or zweihander he'd seen in Aargh's smithy in Nettali or at the smithy in Chevron except the blade wasn't any longer than a bastard sword and the grip was very long and ended in a shining blue-white gem almost like a staff. The man noticed Ryu's expression and smiled.

"Like my weapon, eh? It's called a 'spellblade'. It's a type of sword wielded by those who do not like the idea of holding a sword in one hand and a staff in the other. The staff portion is used to channel magical energies into spells while the sword ensures that we are not defenseless. The only way to get a spellblade and learn how to use it is to join my order. By that way, I never introduced myself did I?"

The man lowered his blade and used it like a staff for a moment and then took a sip of water from a flak on his belt.

"Name's Javier, I'm a...well...let's not get into that now shall we? Bottom line is, you're looking for somebody, I'm looking for somebody, why don't we join forces and I'm sure my magic will come in handy here."

Ryu introduced himself as did Sara and then the three of them approached the door that barred their way. Javier studied the door and chuckled.

"Definately spellcasters at work here. See here? This door _was_ blown off its hinges at some point yesterday but it was hastily reinstalled using magic. I'd state the obvious that we're dealing with necromancers here judging by the rising corpses and the dark miasma in the air. Alright, Ryu, Sara, stand back. I'm going to undo the spell and open the door." Ryu looked at Javier curiously as he walked up to the door.

"Why do we need to stand back?" Javier chuckled as he began making arcane passes with the staff end of his spellblade.

"Because, the caster is actively holding the door up. Dispelling spells like this have a rather...strong physical and mental alert to the caster. To put it bluntly, me breaking down the door would be like dropping an anvil on his head or kicking him in the fork of the legs. He will either go down writhing in pain or he will simply drop unconsious to the ground. Chances are his fellows will then begin hurling counterspells at us and I have no way of knowing what kind of spells those will be. My surcoat is enchanted to ward off most hostile magic so please, do step back."

Javier muttered an incantation and Ryu watched in amazement as the door began to sag. Sonmewhere above them he heard a piercing cry of pain and something glass shatter. A moment later, Javier's face turned red and steam began to come off his cloak and surcoat and even began to come out of his ears. His eyes bugged out and his nostrils flared.

"Whoooo! That's _spicy_!" Ryu and Sara gaped at him in surprise then suddenly, he started shaking and his face turned blue and his nose began running and his teeth chattered.

 _"G-G-G-Good g-g-grief...Brr! What're t-th-they tryin' t-t-to d-d-do? Freeze m-m-my k-kn-knickers o-off?!"_

Javier reached made one more arcane pass and Ryu vaguely saw a flash of lightning strike Javier, briefly illuminating his skeleton before the door collapsed in on itself and leaving Javier, though singed, smoking, and slightly smelling like a roast chicken, but none the worse for where. Javier opened his mouth and coughed out a plume of smoke and smiled as he turned to Ryu and Sara.

"Well? What're you two waitin' for, an engraved invitation? Let's go!"

Still trying to piece together what they had just witnessed, Ryu and Sara followed behind the still smoking Javier as he went deeper into the dam.

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After a few more encounters with the undead (as well as giving Javier time to brush the remaining ash and frost from his surcoat), Ryu, Sara, and Javier came into a large room which held several chains which all led to one central point. Javier whistled and examined one of the chains. Catching a curious glance from Ryu, Javier explained.

"These chains control the floodgates to the dam. I'd say we're about dead center of the dam so we're over the central floodgates and up there is the capstans that control the chains. The doors are still in a resting position which means whoever is here hasn't bothered opening the floodgates. I doubt they would attack a fort garrison this size without knowing how to work the machines in the place." Sara nodded as she apparently understood the gist of it.

"So what are they doing here then?" Javier shrugged.

"I don't know Sara, I can't read minds but either they plan to create a massive lake in which all people can fish in without fear of evil boat sailing tax collectors or...they plan to drown the entire countryside and then raise every man, woman, and child as an undead servant."

As he said the second option, Ryu could see Javier's bright eyes darken and could see him clench his teeth as well as both his hands before relaxing. A momentary slip from the man's normally jovial and cavalier attitude and demeanor. He could tell Javier was upset about this idea and couldn't wait to throttle the ones responsible for so much needless death. He took a few steps, sighed and turned back to face them.

"Sorry to be so curt. The two of you are children and should not even be aware of necromancy in the first place. It's just that...I've seen necromantic spells go awry far, far too many times. Most necromancers start off as lonely little boys or girls who wants to see a beloved family member, a pet, or their parents again and begin dabbling in things far beyond their understanding. They don't understand the finer details of it and once they begin summoning things and get over the shock of seeing them, they begin to wonder what else could I do with these powers? Next thing you know their in the middle of the forest drawing glyphs in the blood of humans, cattle, goats and raising things that should best remain in the realms of demons and nightmares."

Sara caught a tone in his voice that peaked her curiousity. Wanting to press further, she dared to ask what she was thinking.

"You speak as if you know first hand of what these arts are." Javier chuckled wryly at that and nodded.

"Indeed. I know my fair share of necromancy because I myself was once a necromancer. Allbeit a budding one. I...I'd lost my parents, my siblings, my entire family to an act of cruelty when I was a child, barely any older than you are now. My father had fallen behind on his taxes and the land owner tried to coerce my mother into giving him something that wasn't his to ask for. She rebuked him and a few days later a fire mysteriously broke out. I had snuck out of the house to play with this wolf cub I'd befriended and when I saw the house burning, I knew I couldn't save them. They hadn't even roused from their beds. They just...lay there. Still as statues yet I _knew_ they could feel the flames burning them, _alive_ , but some force kept them from jumping up and running or screaming for help."

Javier broke from his story to cast a wind spell which tossed an undead soldier into a mechanism which, at that moment, rotated and flattened the corpse.

"It was a few years later that I learned of my father's failings and my mother's refusal when the murderous wretch tried to force me to pay off my father's debts to him. It just so happens that while I was exploring with my wolf friend, who by now was a full grown wolf, I came across an ancient library that once belonged to a necromancer of some reknown. I studied his books, texts, scrolls, conducted small experiments. I started small; raising undead rats, birds, fish. Then one day the land owner did the same thing he did to me to another family. Enraged, I began summoning and I don't know what happened, perhaps I was thinking about my family when I did so but I reanimated the charred corpses of my family. My family marched on the land owner who recognized me and them and pleaded for his life before the undead ripped him apart."

Again he broke from the story to concentrate on a spell of opening that opened a door but triggered a counterspell that left him drenched for a moment before the magical surcoat dried him off automatically.

"I practiced necromancy for a few more years, determined to only use it for good but as I used it I fell deeper and deeper into darkness until one day I cast a spell that cost me the life of my best friend. The wolf I had befriended attacked a demon I had summoned by mistake and by the time I prepared the banishment spell, my wolf was dead and the demon lurching towards me again. That night I burned my books, buried my friend, and vowed never to return to that forsaken place or practice necromancy again."

Sara was speechless. She naturally had heard about the evils of necromancy from her mother but never like this. She began to wonder if all necromancers truly were like Javier and just needed a helping hand. As they climbed the stairs to the control room of the dam, Sara began to see more and more evidence of the battle that had unfolded here. There was dried blood everywhere and occasionally a charred outline of where someone had once stood before being burned to ashes. As they reached another door that was bigger than the others, Javier began to mutter the most powerful counterspell in his knowledge and all but blasted the door off its hinges. It wasn't the control room, but there were several men here all dressed in black robes and held tall, twisted, staves that eminated a dark energy that made Sara sick.

Ryu glanced about and saw a young girl, roughly the same age as him being held against the wall by another necromancer. As he unsheathed his sword, a loud crash startled the group and the door on the opposite side was thrown open, a necromancer and undead came flying out and right behind them stood Aargh, tired, but triumphant.

"Alright you dastards! Let the girl go! Your plans for the dam are foiled!"

The lead necromancer, the one holding the girl, smirked and nodded to his fellows who began chanting a long incantaion, before turning and grinning showing all his broken, rotted teeth.

"No. It's not over just yet."

Javier paled as he recognized the spell and hastily began chanting a spell meant apparently to counter the first. The lead necromancer turned in shock and awe.

"Y-You are a necromancer?!" Ryu stepped forward, sword drawn.

"He's a former necromancer and we couldn't have gotten this far without him. Now surrender."

At that moment, a circle appeared on the floor and turned the stone within black as a creature reached out and pulled itself out of the floor. The creature stood taller than even Aargh, looked like a cross between a lizard and a gryphon, but was also undead and stank as such. It turned to the necromancers and lisped as it spoke.

"You foolssss dare to sssummon me? For thisss? Two children, a furball, and a...former son of darknesssss?" Javier paled as he stepped forward and whispered to Ryu and Sara.

"That's Ralian, one of the seven infernal beast lords, underlings of Davrak, the lord of disease, pestilence, death, and decay in the underworld. Thsi just got a whole lot more dangerous."

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Alright! Chapter 3 is up and outta here. Next up, the boss fight! Ryu, Sara, Javier, and Aargh against Ralian and the necromancers. The fate of the mysterious young girl is at risk next time.

Next Chapter: The Undying Beast.


	5. The Undying Beast

Good day everyone, I hope you all are having a wonderful week thus far. Well, anyway, as promised, here's the latest chapter of Silver Reign, enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 4: The Undying Beast

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The necromancer grinned as the beast appeared and make a bow to it.

"Lord Ralien, these people seek to undo all our good work in your's and Lord Davrak's names. I just felt it fitting that since our strength is...waned from creating so many servants that you would wish to deal with these rogues personally." The beast growled at the necromancer and turned back to Ryu and the others.

"While I highly doubt that thessse foolsss could prove a match to me, you are right that I would not deny mine or my master'ssss venganccce. However, I will need something more...sssubstancial to face them."

The creature's whip-like tail with a strange point on it shot forward and impaled a nearby necromancer who screamed. Ryu, Sara, Javier, and Aargh then heard a strange _'slurp' 'slurp'_ sound coming from the tail and saw the necromancer being mummified right before their eyes. A few moments later, the corpse crumbled into dust and the creature looked at the group, bemused.

"Frightened I see? As an infernal beast I cannot stay on this plane for long and thus I need to continually renew my body with the blood and life force of those who serve my master. Now then, To avoid having to renew myself again, I'll take all of you on!"

Ryu, Javier, and Aargh drew their weapons and Sara readied her magic as Ralien charged them. Sara was the first to finish and cast a Flame spell that struck Ralien but a moment later, the flames were smothered by a gout of water from another necromancer.

Ryu feinted left, Aargh went right, and Javier cast a spell to cloak his weapon in flames and attacked head on. What was strange is that Ralien made no move to counter or block them, he _let_ the attacks hit him. What's more, each blow would have been considered 'mortal' to any living or undead beast. Yet every time they attacked, steam rose from the creature's body and a moment later the wound was healed. Ralien's maw drew back into a sinister smile as yet another spell from Sara was dispelled. They tried again and again yet the attacks healed. Then Ryu dealt a strike that made Ralien flinch and botch his next attack. Quickly, the tail shot out towards another necromancer and aborbed him and the fight continued. This happened two more times and the group was tiring out. Then, her hope waning, Sara cast another spell.

To her surprise, and to Ralien's as well, the spell caught and began burning the fur mane that ran along his spine. The necromancer who always cast the water spell hadn't recovered from that last time and couldn't extinguish the blaze.

When the flames subsided, Ralien growled and shot forth the tail again, this time he absorbed the necromancer who had failed him.

"I never thought that sssomeone would be able to lassst through my regeneration cccycle. No matter, the four of you are now exhausssted and I am back to full ssstrength." The lead necromancer began laughing and stepped forward, bowing to Ralien.

"Which brings me to why I summoned you my lord. I know you've wanted to see this world more than just glimpses wherever you are summoned so I've got a special...'treat' for you." The lead necromancer unbound the girl from the place she had been and presented her to Ralien. As Ralien looked at her curiously, the necromancer smiled.

"This girl has incredible magical potential and I've made a spell to amplify that potential. Absorb this girl and you will be free from Davrak's hold, free to wonder the world and do whatever you like." Ralien grinned evilly and turned to the girl, his tail twitching.

"I knew there wasss a reason I kept you around for asss long asss I did. Hold on to her while I deal with the lassst of this rabble...What?!"

As he turned back, he saw Sara finish a rejuvenation spell and Aargh, Ryu, and Javier got up and readied their weapons again. Sara smiled as she stood with them.

"I always did have a quick mind to see how things word. You absorb you underlings or any other creature and gain temporary invulnerability. At least to physical attacks. Magic on the other hand, you are still vulnerable to. Now I know how to destroy you." Ralien smirked.

"Ssso what? You are ssstill the only magic ussser your little group hasss. Your friend Javier cannot harm me magically since hisss original magic came from my master. I will kill you firssst then sssince you have learned my...abilitiesss."

At that moment, a light eminated from Sara who smiled.

"Good luck with that."

The light flashed once and then enveloped the entire room. Ralien shut his eyes to the light as did the necromancer who then suddenly fell silent. When the light vanished, Ralien looked back at the necromancer and found him dazed on the floor, the girl gone. Growling he looked back and saw Aargh with the girl. The girl, and for that matter Javier, were staring at something astounding. Ralien followed their gaze and his jaw dropped.

Where the girl who had insulted him once stood, there was now a dragon with gleaming silver-white scales and blood red eyes. Ralien's air of arrogance dropped like a stone, like his jaw.

"Y-you're a dragon?! How isss that posssible?! He told me he had ssslain the lasst dragon in these partsss!" Ryu caught this and growled, readying his sword and stepping forward.

"Who told you? Who was it who slew our Mother?!" Ralien looked at Ryu aghast and then actually backed away.

"A full dragon and an unawakened hatchling? Grr...when I find that lying, sniviling, human, I'll make his current affliction seem like a common cold!" Sara growled, a sound that made the whole room vibrate.

"I cannot let you do that. You and your pet necromancer will die here."

Sara opened her mouth and breathed a column of white-blue flames at the creature who screeched as the flames hit him. The force of the flames was so great that Ralien was knocked back against the wall of the room, leaving several large cracks in the wall and also a large splash of black blood on the stone floor as he fell back to the floor.

Sara advanced menicingly, teeth bared, growling in her throat. Ralien rose, gazed at her with angry expression and then started glowing with black light.

"Thisss isssn't over, dragon. Yesss, I know who ssslew your mother, but before you find him, I have sssome...unfinissshed buisssnesssss with him..." Ralien began to vanish back to the plane from whence he came but then he saw the necromancer leader move and sighed.

"I thought I forgot sssomething."

Ralien's tail shot forward again and stabbed into the necromancer who shrieked as he was dragged into the prortal with Ralien.

Before the necromancer perished, Ralien held him before his and smiled.

"Not that you'll benefit from this lesson, but there is _always_ a price for summoning one of us. The caster must make a blood sacrifice yes, but once the buisness is concluded, the caster's magic is often absorbed by the creature he summoned." Ralien turned to Javier, who went wide-eyed as he understood.

"Yesss, human...Malice is looking forward to seeing _you_ again. You never gave her the sacrifice she wanted when you summoned her. There is a blood pact on your soul and Malice _will_ collect once she learns where you are."

Ralien laughed as he finished dispelling himself, leaving only the bag of bones that had once been the necromancer on the floor, his face fixed in a shriek of horror.

Aargh held the girl gently and shielded her from the horrible sight as Ryu came up. He peered at the girl under the cloak and tilted his head.

"H-Hey, are you alright?"

The girl gave a small nod and let the hood fall away from her head revealing her almost sand-blonde hair. Then the cloak fell away entirely and Ryu, as well as Aargh and Sara (who by now had returned to human form), took a step back in shock. Ryu found his voice first and ststed the obvious.

"S-She has wings!" Javier laughed and steeped forward, lowering himself to one knee and bowing his head.

"Princess Nina, I am Javier, Battlemage of the Sentinels, apprentice to Lord William. I was requested by your Father to rescue you and escort you back to Wyndia. I am pleased to see you unharmed." The girl, Nina, straightened up and looked at Javier and nodded.

"I am glad to see you as well. May I ask, who are your companions?" Javier nodded and motioned the others over.

"This young lady here is Sara and to her right is her younger brother, Ryu. I must confess, after seeing what has transpired here, I fear that without their help I wouldn't have been able to free you. As for the wolfman, I fear I do not know him." At that moment, Ryu smiled and ran beside Aargh.

"This is Aargh, a blacksmith from our hometown. He was taking us to Hiro so that we could go to our uncle's home in Bastiova." Nina nodded then remembered what Relian had said.

"The both of you lost your mother recently. That's what that creature said right?" Ryu nodded sadly but stopped short as he felt Sara's hand on his shoulder.

"That's right. We don't know who or what it was that killed her but there was an overwhelming force of dark magic still in the area when we found her. Our uncle is the only family we have left." Javier nodded and came to them.

"Now for my end of the deal. You two said your uncle lives in Bastiova. I'm from Bastiova and know just about everyone in the city. I don't however, recall any dragons living in the city." Sara chuckled and shook her head.

"He's not a dragon like we are, he's our Father's younger brother. The thing is, we never learned his name and I don't think Aargh knows it either." Aargh stepped forward and sighed.

"Perhaps he knows who we speak of if I say this. Sara and Ryu are the only children of the Silver Knight and the Silver Tempest." Sara and Ryu went wide-eyed at this then gazed at Javier who, had he not been standing against the wall, looked as if he would have fainted. Quickly regaining his composure, he stood and sighed.

"If that's true, then I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your uncle's name is Henry. He left Bastiova some three years ago to search for his brother, your Father, and was last seen wandering into the Lamian Desert. It's a place that the Silver Knight often went to fight monsters that were threatening both the city-state of Faulklan and the Empire as a whole. Henry was a good soldier but no match for the monsters in the desert. A body matching the armor and clothing he wore was discovered three months ago near an oasis on the outskirts of Faulklan. A notebook on him indicated he had lost his mind with grief and was trying to find his deceased brother, claiming that he couldn't be killed so easily as going down with a ship. The house he lived in is still in his name, he was a good friend to Tiga, a Tiger-clansman who set up shop next door."

Javier saw the looks on Sara and Ryu's faces and sighed.

"Look, I shop at Tiga's place all the time. He was a good friend to your uncle and also knew your Father. In fact he often brags that the Silver Knight was his best customer when he traveled. I don't think he'll have any objections to the two of you living in your uncle's home. In the meantime the both of you could help him around the shop. He's getting on in his years and claiming the two of you as assistants will keep you out of the public eye and also help you avoid trouble with the Watch." Ryu looked at him curiously.

"The Watch?" Javier nodded.

"A group of weekend warriors who usually just enforce the rule that all children under fifteen with no apprenticeships must attend the school in whatever district you're from or whatever school suits your skills. The distict your uncle's home and Tiga's shop is in is called the Lazuli District, the school there is the Imperial Magic Academy. Anyway, the elderly with helpers and shop owners with apprentices are exempt from this but you must make a proper showing of yourselves meaning helping around the shop and taking care of customers. Lady Nina, I promised your Father to get you home as soon as possible but, surely you wouldn't mind this little side trip. I gave them my word that I would see them to Bastiova."

Nina smiled and nodded.

"I don't mind. After all, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them would I? I'll send a letter to Father explaining everything. Perhaps I can also try to get some of the soldiers looking for the man who killed their Mother as well?" Javier shook his head.

"No need for that Your Highness. Once they are settled and I bring you home, I'll return and start looking for this murderer immediately. The Silver Tempest, Lady Aurora, was a heroine in the Empire and was once rumored to have saved the Emperor's life fifteen years ago." Aargh sighed and stepped forward.

"I suppose once they are settled, I'll start looking for a smithy in need of a blacksmith. Though I doubt Bastiova is in need of any." Javier nodded understandingly then turned to Ryu.

"First, we'll stop by Chevron and inform the mayor of what has transpired here. Doubtless that soldiers from Hiro have already arrived so once we're through there, we head to Hiro. Ryu, Sara, you won't need to worry about payment." Javier held up a gold badge that bore an emblem they didn't recognize.

"As a Sentinel, I am oftentimes called away on important buisness. This badge lets me, and those travelling with me, travel for free on any vessel, wagon, or other mode of transportation you can think of. I'll make sure you get to Bastiova. Once there, I'll get Nina back to Wyndia. Hopefully, shouldn't be more than seven or eight days." Ryu turned to his sister who nodded and then together, the group left the dam and headed back to Chevron.

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Okay everyone, as promised, here's the latest update. Hmm...did I say that already in the foreword?...Guess not. Anyway, here is the first boss fight. So, Chevron is saved and now Ryu, Sara and company are back on their way to the Empire.

As always, please review.

Next Time: The Currents of Time


	6. The Tides of Time

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long time in updating this story but I kinda ran out of ideas for a while. Anyway, just so that none of you think I've forgotten the story, here's the latest update.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 5: The Currents of Time

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(In the Port Town of Hiro)

Sara watched in the distance as Javier haggled with a ship Captain over the authenticity of the seal he had presented and then gazed after her brother who stood before a slab of granite that marked the harbor. Gathering her breath, she approached her brother and then turned her gaze to the slab.

 _"In Loving Memory of Those Who Have Died On the Sea..."_

Sara read down the stone until she came to the name she had heard Mother mention countless times before.

 _'Areta'_.

That was the name of the ship that had carried Father to war. The vessel that had sank in the Isle of Mists and had taken him with it. She pointed Father's name out to Ryu who nodded and then closed his eyes.

"Paying your respects to those lost are ye?"

Sara and Ryu looked up to see a man standing alongside them.

"Not many travellers pay their respects to those who have died on the high seas. I come here every chance I get to say a little prayer or something for my mates." The sailor pointed at the name ' _Areta_ ' and sighed.

"Not a day goes by that I wish I hadn't gotten sick with a blasted fever and missed the ship. Captain had to take on a passenger as a crewman from what I heard. I don't blame the poor soul for any misfortune but I should have been on that ship when she set out. I can't help but think...maybe there's something more I could've done. Something that maybe one of the lookouts missed. Nobody knows what sank her that night. Islanders said they saw the lanterns on the ship one moment and the next, nothing, as if the sea opened up and swallowed the whole ship and crew." The sailor shook his head for a moment and then sighed.

"If you kids are looking for passage, there's a Captain, MacDonnell by name, who'll carry you. Also, between you and me, unlike Captain Moriarty there, he won't try to cheat ya."

As soon as the man turned and left, Sara went to Aargh, informed him of the Captain, and the group had turned to a ship anchored close to the memorial.

Unbeknownst to Sara and Ryu, the man they'd spoken to stood in an alleyway, smiled softly as they boarded and then turned down the alleyway and vanished.

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(somewhere in the Great Ocean)

Ryu couldn't help but laugh as Javier did yet another faceplant in an ever increasing chain of them. To be honest, he felt that Javier was at least partly doing them on purpose to cheer him, Sara, and Nina up but for the other parts, despite his talk of travelling on boats constantly, he had no bearing at sea whatsoever. Compounding the battlemage's run of bad luck was that the initial bout of seasickness he had come down with upon leaving Hiro hadn't faded either. This latest faceplant was a slapdash attempt to get to the railing before he gave the deck hands another mess to clean up.

After the novelty of the first few incidents wore off with the crew, many of them actually growled and threatened to toss him overboard if he 'rejected the cook's food' again. Needless to say Javier finally crawled his way to the railing and heaved over it...

Right onto the crewman below who was throwing the cooking scraps out the porthole.

Needless to say Ryu, Sara, and Nina laughed till their sides hurt as the disgruntled sailor came up covered in bits of fish, seaweed, and other things best not described on a full stomach. The sailor scowled and went for Javier when Aargh shoved past him and he too hurled over the rail. The sailor looked at the two sick ones and then to the kids, a confused expression on his face.

"Tha wolfman hadna been sick before...ya think he's been hidin' it?" Sara shrugged and then went to guide the sick Javier and the 'newly sick' Aargh down below deck.

The sailor, his ire cooled by the event, went below mumbling about how he thought seasickness wasn't contagious. Sara stopped in their cabin where Aargh was angrily growling at Javier.

"I hope you're happy. I had to force myself to empty my stomach so that you didn't get your tail handed to you! I thought you said that you were accustomed to sea travel, were those not your EXACT words?" Javier thumped his chest a few times and sighed.

"More or less."

"Well which one is it? More? Less?" Javier lifted his hand and made a seesawing motion.

"Somewhere in between." Aargh growled low in his throat before storming away, leaving the three of them with Javier who sighed and rested in the high-backed chair in their quarters. He chuckled lightly as he gazed out the window.

"Normally I could stand on the deck of a ship in a full gale and laugh at it. However, I...I don't know. Something Ralien said shook me to the core. To think, all these years after that stupid mistake, that demoness still hunts me. I guess it's true what they say, 'What goes around comes around'..." Sara came up and looked at Javier, her eyes unreadable.

"If you had the chance to go through everything again, would you?" Javier eyed Sara curiously and then sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know. It's true that, if I never started envoking necromantic spells and curses I likely wouldn't have a monster after my soul, I'd still have my best friend, and I'd be living a normal life. On the other hand, if I never started down the path of necromancy, I never would have started learning elemental magic, the greedy landlord who killed my family would likely still be causing trouble, I would never have become a Battlemage, I'd have never met any of you..." He paused for a moment as if realizing something and then started laughing.

"You pulled a fast one on me didn't you? Trying to make me see that the past is the past and that I should live with my mistakes and through them, become strong enough that the day Malice comes looking for me I can at least have the chance to go down fighting, right?" Sara looked at him curiously and then shook her head.

"No. I simply meant that for dragons, even time travel magic is not beyond the realm of possibility...at least...those strong enough and with enough mana to rend the fabric of space and time..." Javier's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged out in shock.

"Y-Y-Y-Yo-You mean that-that-that it's _possible_?!" Sara then smiled and walked away.

"No...I just wanted to see the look on your face. If such a spell existed, it would surely cause more harm than good."

At that moment, the ship hit a rough wave and pitched Javier back in his chair and laid him flat on his back, effectively knocking him out. He regained conciousness for a moment and looked Sara straight in the eyes.

"You're evil." His head fell back again and he was out-cold again.

Sara couldn't help but start laughing at that and walked back on deck where she saw Ryu and Nina engaged in a game of tag out of the way of the crew. Smiling slightly, she turned and walked up to where the Captain stood and gazed out over the deck. The Captain, a man well into his mid years, his shock of black hair fading to grey motioned to the young ones.

"Why not join them? You look to be a lass who should, by all rights, still enjoying the pleasures of an innocent childhood." Sara shook her head and gazed past her cheerful brother.

"I can't. I...I'm all my brother has left now. I can't waste time with frivolous thoughts or actions. At least while there were hopes that my Uncle was living I could but now...There's nothing that awaits us at our destination. I...I would never confess this to Ryu but...once I learn what I need to know, I'm leaving to pursue the monster that killed our Mother."

The Captain listened and sighed sadly as he turned back.

"Yer heart's too young to be tainted by thoughts of revenge. Take my advice, let not revenge hide what you have. You lost yer Mother, aye, and that's a trajedy to be sure _BUT_ you still have yer brother. Who'll he have whe you leave on this quest? Your companions? The lass is a princess, the second she's home her parents'll never let her out of their sight again. The wolfman's already paid for an extended trip to Port Kavanac; and the Battlemage'll be escorting the Princess home and then he'll return to buisness as usual huntin' down necromancers, demons, and all other manner of creatures that go bump in the night."

The Captain squared his shoulders and then gazed out at sea with a fire in his eyes.

"' _Men shall come and men shall go but the tide shall be here always_ '. That's what me Da' used to say when I was a lad. It means that friends come and go but our family stays eternal. On a ship you get to know yer men. Tis' a poor Captain who struts about and never bothers learning or givin' a damn about his crew. A true man of the sea treats his crew like family. He eats with them, drinks with them, gets his hands dirty and shoulders the load alongside them. I never understood the meanin' of it until the day me Da's ship sank in a storm off the Island of Mists. A crewmate may move on to greener fields but he'll never forget the kindness one has showed him. Treat 'em like family and they'll never forsake ye."

Sara thought about his words and nodded as she looked down at her brother. As she began to step down to join them, a loud ringing got her attention.

Six bells.

She noticed the Captain pale and immediatly wrest the wheel from the helmsman.

"All hands to arms! Prepare to repel boarders!" Sara looked around for a ship, remembering tales of pirates she had heard in Hiro but was baffled by the lack of any ship or even the hint of sails. Curiously, she turned to the Captain.

"Boarders Captain? But there is no ship nearby..." The Captain eyed her with an understanding nod.

"Aye miss. There are no _mortal_ enemies to fear of. I'll be thrice-damned if I didn't somehow misread the charts...we've drifted too close to Isla Fantasma, the Island of Ghosts. See that unnatural looking fog over there? Through the fog lie the twin sisters, spires of jet black rock that sink any ship that rams them. If you're lucky enough to survive the sinking of the ship, you wash up ashore that island where you die a horrible death. We're not drifting _into_ the fog thank the Gods but we're close enough we may see Sentinels." Ryu had come up to his sister and had overheard everything and looked spooked.

"S-Sentinels? What are they?"

"Ghost ships laddie. Ships that have met grisly ends and have taken their entire crews down with them. People drifting close by here have said to have seen countless ships thought to be resting on the ocean floor only to see them on _top_ of the water and sailing about with a crew of the damned. If our luck holds we won't be seeing any ghost ships or their crews, but just to be safe the alarms been sounded."

Ryu nodded and gazed at the fog bank with a feeling of apprehension. The entire crew went about their duties muttering prayers to any god they thought would hear them all the while keeping their swords, axes, and other weapons in eyesight and within reach.

 _"Captain! Sail! Two points off starboard bow!"_

The lookout's cry had lit a fire under the crew. The prayers were now being spoken with loud voices instead of muttered and the Captain swung the ship to port so that he could see the incoming threat. He squinted his eyes so that he could see through the fog. Sara looked at him with a curious glance to see the man had broken out in a cold sweat.

"Captain? Do you see the ship?" The Captain nodded slowly.

"Aye, and I wish to all the gods I didn't...it's the _Areta_...me da's ship..."

This got Sara and Ryu's undivided attentio as they gazed at the ship with both fear and anger. The Captain turned the wheel hard as fast as he could, strainign with ever turn.

"Tis' no use! I can't evade her! All hands, brace for impact!"

The _Areta_ seemed to change its course and run neatly alongside them. There was the sound of creaking wood, a sudden jarring that shook nearly everyone off their feet (and awoke a sleeping Javier below), and a cacophanous noise that, to one sailor, sounded like a chorus of the damned. After a few tense moments, everything seemed at peace and the crew went below to ensure there were no leaks in the ship. Meanwhile, Sara, Ryu, the Captain, Aargh, and Javier looked upon the ghost ship, each with their own expressions and feelings.

The vessel was longer than their's by a good twenty feet. Of her four masts, one was broken in half, another was missing the top third, and the others trailed shredded, sodden cloth that once had been her sails. The deck creaked, porthole frames and doors creaked open and slammed back in the wind, worst of all was the seeming appearance of _something_ that seemed to only be seen whenever it crossed in front of what few windows were still intact on the ship.

Sara looked around worriedly and then looked to Javier and Aargh.

"Where is Nina?"

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Hey guys sorry for the long time in updating this story I've been busy putting together a few chapters for World Fury.

Anyway, hope ya'll enjoy and please remember to review!

Next Chapter: Areta


	7. Areta

Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay. I've been kept busy with matters at home. Anyway, I haven't meant to neglect or forget about the story I just haven't had any ideas for it until now. Hope you enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 6: Areta

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Ryu stared up at the ship that had come alongside their ship with a mix of fear and awe. The sailors all muttered under their breaths and said prayers to whatever gods they thought would hear them as mist began to swirl and envelope the masts of the _Areta_. Ryu noticed Sara and the others searching for Nina but after a while they all came back on deck with worried expressions. Javier turned to the Captain, eyes betraying his worry but also a little fear.

"Captain...do you have any idea where Nina could have gone? Any ' _special_ ' compartments that we don't know about?" The Captain changed from fearful to angry and his face matched the red of his coat as he approached the battlemage.

"No, whelp. I don't have any 'special' compartments on _**my**_ ship. We don't engage in smuggling, we're all good, honest men of the sea here. None of that privateering or looting buisness going on **this** ship. I've half a mind to clock you on the head for even suggesting that sort of behavior." The Captain apparently was bluffing but he didn't let Javier know that as the battlemage shrunk back uttering apologies. The Captain nodded and then turned to the _Areta_ , his fear turning into worry as he faced the ship.

"No...if she's not on this ship, then likely she's been spirited abourd **THAT** ship."

Several men blanched when their Captain said 'spirit' and reached for their weapons. Javier noticed this and sighed.

"Mortal hands cannot damage the dead. We're in no danger; yet." One of the crew turned to the mage.

"Sir, what do you mean?" Javier turned to the crew and his companions.

"The _Areta_ , like many ghost ships, will only summon her undead and damned crew if her heart is threatened. Think for a moment, how does a ship on the bottom of the ocean rise for the depths and sail again? The answer is magic. Not ordinary magic, mind you, but dark magic." One of the senior crew huffed drawing Javier's attention.

"I do not jest. Listen to me, when a man dies, several things go through his mind: fear, regret, and remorse certainly, but also anger, dispair, hatred. These emotions can be felt by **any** man on the cusp of death or seeing his death loom before him and knowing not a thing to stop it from claiming him. You've heard of old castles on land that have possessed suits of armor or statues that get up and move or paintings that seem to follow you with their eyes wherever you go, correct? Ships are no different except that they need a catalyst, an 'anchor' if you will to bind their crew's souls to this plane of existance and control them." Javier turned to the ship, eyes flashing.

"Somewhere on that ship is an item that has absorbed the negative emotions of the crew felt at the time of their deaths and it has turned it into dark magic. This magic has been building, growing until it was finally strong enough for the sunken wreck to burst from the ocean floor, chain the souls of its crew to it, and make sail again. Now one of our companions, if she is not on **this** ship, she is on **that** ship and I am not allowing the undead to claim her. Captain, you said the _Areta_ was your father's ship, correct? What was her full crew and passneger capacity?" The Captain sighed and gazed at the ship as he scratched the stubble of his beard with the hand currently **not** resting on his sword hilt.

"If I recall correctly, the _Areta_ had a crew of about seventy-five and could carry between twenty to thirty passengers at a time. Do you truly believe that you can best the undead souls of the entire crew?" Javier chuckled.

"I don't have to Captain. All I have to do is find the ship's heart, no matter where or what it is, and destroy it, that should free the sould trapped aboard and send the _Areta_ back to the depths where she belongs." The Captain thought for a moment.

"Can anything become a heart?" Javier nodded. The Captain snapped his fingers as he thought of something.

"My father had a treasure of his, something he called a 'weather eye'. A device build in the capital that not only told him the direction of his ship, but also what sort of weather was approaching, what was around his ship, and where the closest port was. Many was a time I found him staring at it intently. Saved us quite a few times to when we saw a nasty storm or pirates closing on us." Javier nodded.

"Indeed. Anything with a magical essense, no matter how small, large, weak, strong, rare, or mundane it is can become a heart if embued with dark magic. Where was the Weather Eye located?" The Captain pointed towards the aft castle of the ship. Javier looked over the ship and frowned.

"The only way to the aft castle is through the ship itself, no way we can scale all the debris that blocks the stairs and ladders. Looks like the closest entrance is the cargo hold." The Captain nodded and then looked to Javier.

"Alright then, but surely you won't be going alone or taking these kids with you?" Javier looked to Ryu and Sara and then to Aargh and then back to the Captain.

"These children have saved my life before and have the skills to protect themselves, plus, Nina knows them, she may answer them whereas she may not answer to me." The Captain nodded to them and then motioned to his crew.

"Ready the gangplank. Prepare to disembark. Gods help us and save us all."

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Aboard the ship, Nina awoke with absolutely no recollection of where she was or how she got there. The last thing she remembered was playing tag with Ryu and then an alarm of some sort and then...

...nothing.

Her mind drew a complete blank.

Gazing around her surroundings though, it was **obvious** she wasn't on the ferry anymore. The room she was in was old. **VERY** old. Mildew, mold, seaweed, and barnicles were clustered all around the room and it stank of dead fish and brackish seawater. As she turned, she thought she saw someone in a mirror on in the room but when she turned, she saw nothing.

A loud ' _bang!_ ' got her attention and frightened her so much she screamed. Turning to cast a spell at the sound she stopped when she saw an old porthole swinging open from the waves and crashing back with the wind. She walked to the door of the room and tugged on the handle.

Locked.

Then, she heard what could only be described as heavy, ragged breathing. The kind of breathing someone makes when they are ill or if they've just been saved from drowning. Again she looked in the mirror and gasped.

This time she **did** see somebody. A man, dressed in wet, torn, and tattered clothes, slumped against a chair. The reflection saw her and raised a finger at her.

 _"Get out!_ _ **Leave this place**_ _!"_

As the figure spoke, the figure disolved and reappeared a moment later, but the difference make Nina scream even louder and bolt through the (now open) door. The figure in the mirror, a ghastly reflection that shifted from drowned man to skeleton and back, turned it's head towards the ceiling and let out a wail that, on the ferry, the crew and party heard and were chilled to the bone.

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Ryu had heard the scream and had all but leapt onto the ghost ship.

"That's Nina!"

Moments later, a ghastly wail tore through the ship and wood creaked, the portholes opened and shut more rapidly than they had and tattered sails began to flutter furiously, yet vainly, in the weak wind and mist. As Ryu turned, he saw figures begin walking through the mist. Every man on the ferry swore and redoubled their efforts at prayer. Then, a figure appeared and began shouting orders to the ghost crew.

 _"Hoist anchor! Let fly the sails and let the sea be with us today!"_

The figures vanished as quickly as they appeared and from out of nowhere, a piece of waterlogged paper flew through the air and smacked into Javier. Thankfully, he had the sense of mind not to rip the paper from his face instead gently removing it and casting a spell to dry the paper and restore the faded ink on the sheet.

"21 Octavious, Captain's Journal. Fortune must truly sail with us this month. Not only do we have a hero on board when a sea monster reared its head but we also had a powerful mage aboard as well. Our journey has been fruitful and I shall return to my wife and children with a full purse and a brightened spirit. Though most of our passengers will be disembarking at Kavanac and Port Haldis, our special guest will be staying on to South Point. We'll have to brave the Isle of Mists but for the coin he has offered us, I'd sail to Isla de Fantasma and back. Once we return, I'm purchasing the _Areta_ from the company and starting my own venture. No more living off of Mr. Hauser's damnable, so-called ' _charity_ '." Javier handed the paper to the Captain and looked to him.

"Who's Mr. Hauser?" The Captain grew angry as he read the paper and spoke through clenched teeth.

"Roddick Hauser, founder, owner, and operator of Hauser Shipping and Transport Company. If gold's involved there's nothing he wouldn't sink to. Piracy, smuggling, eliminating rival merchantmen, all things I and my crew stand against. He came across publicly as a decent man but behind the scenes he was a slave driver, a demon cloaked in human flesh. Not only always taking the complete pay for the cargo delivered but also taking anywhere between fifty to eighty percent of the passenger fee which, by law, went entirely to the crew and captain of the vessel. If you spoke against Mr. Hauser, well, you'd best know how to defend yourself and have no immediate family or holdings near the port. He'd threaten men's wives and children, sieze and destroy property, blackmail, and sometimes even outright murder anyone who tried to expose his practices." Aargh growled low in his throat and asked the question that Ryu himself wanted to ask.

"Where is Mr. Hauser now?" The Captain shrugged.

"No one knows. He vanished around the same time as the _Areta_. I sometimes fancied that he'd been fool enough to fight my father and wound up going down with the ship in place of him, though he was too crafty and wicked to try something **that** stupid. Since Hauser's disappearance, Hauser Shipping had gone under and was purchased by one of his weakest competitors, Nelson Cargo and Passenger Ferry, the company that **we** proudly work for."

Aargh nodded and then looked to the ship.

"If we find any more of these journal pages, we might be able to find out the _Areta_ 's final moments." Javier looked at Aargh as if he was crazy.

"Why do we want to comb this haunted ship from stem to stern just to find a few old moldy journal pages? Let's just find Nina, smash the heart, this Weather Eye, and then get the hell out of here."

As one, Ryu, Sara, Aargh, and Javier crossed the gangplank from the ferry to the _Areta_ and went down the hole that had once been the cargo hatch. Inside, they found broken crates, barrels, and several other pieces of cargo strewn about. A rumbling sound got Ryu's attention and he turned to see an old barrel rolling back and forth with the waves. Just in time, he turned back around to see Javier utter an incantation to summon a stragne greenish-gold light into existance. Aargh noticed it as well and looked at the mage curiously.

"What in the name of the Great Huntsman is that?" Javier transferred the light and summoned what appeared to be a staff and set the light gently upon it.

"Most call this a were-light. Though the true name for this is a ghost flame or will-o-wisp. It is a magical flame that gives off light but also forces ghosts to appear. As long as this light stays lit, we need not fear an ambush from the undead." Javier turned and started towards an open hatch as Ryu and the others looked on and then, without warning, the door slammed in Javier's face and the will-o-wisp flickered and went out, eliciting a gasp from the normally fearless Aargh.

"Mage, the light!"

Holding his nose and muttering a healing spell, he then shook the staff and the light returned. He lowered his hand, nose healed but still bloody, and aimed the staff at a corner of the ship.

"Whatever spirit be in this room, reveal thyself to me!" He was answered by Sara chunking a piece of a wooden plank at him.

"Did you really just say **that** of all things?! What if they answer you?"

The sound of heavy footsteps on the old floor got their attention and some phantoms appeared but completely ignored them.

 _"Oei, Benny. So tell me, what do ye think of our passenger?"_

 _"Oh he's a right dandy all right. A little loose in the attic if you get me drift. All he does is sit in his cabin mumbling about how his wife's betrayed him, all 'woe is me' and nonsense like that. Still, Cap'n says not to disturb him so we're not to bother him."_

 _"Aye, still, he makes my knees knock whenever he's on deck. Cannot deny he's skilled, helped us fend off that sea monster, he did. Just that, he seems a little...off the old rocker."_ At that moment, another ghost appeared and the first motioned for him.

 _"Aye, he is that. Ahoy Will, taking the man his meal?"_

 _"Aye, not that he enjoys it. Every tray of food I've left out front is still there until I remove it. Cap'n says not to let him starve but I'll be damned if I know how he's staying in there and not eatin' a bloomin thing. Cook's 'bout ready to come up here, cave the door in and force feed him."_

A moment later the phantoms vanished, leaving the group to look at each other. Ryu looked around and spotted something and pointed it out to Javier who walked over to the three crates that were still stacked and removed another journal entry.

"23 Octavious. Captain's Journal. Have set sail from Port Haldis on last leg of our longest voyage to date. Full crew, full cargo hold, two passengers. Don't know who they are or what their buisness is but they paid enough gold for me not to ask questions. One of them comes out on deck once, maybe twice, for about two bells and then goes back below decks. The crew has taken a dislike to the other man but for some reason I can't help but trust him. We've a while ahead of us, five, seven days at the most. May have to drop anchor at Lawson Reef, the Weather Eye shows a storm brewing."

Finished reading, Javier folded the paper and placed it in his pocket with the other and then looked back at the (now open) door and then to Ryu and the group.

"Whatever we do, we must **not** get separated." Javier cast another spell and made the group's weapons glow with the same light as his staff.

"I've enchanted your weapons with were-fire. You may now be able to fight the evil spirits that stalk this ship. Now then, first, we find Nina, then we find the Weather Eye, the ship's heart, and destroy it."

Nodding in unison, the group started down the corridor as the ship creaked an moaned beneath their feet.

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Nina didn't know how long she ran in the abandoned ship. She passed by several rooms that seemed to have doors that swung shut or opened randomly. All the while, she heard the echo of the specter that she had seen in the mirror. His voice wracked with pain as he gave warning to whoever entered the ship. Nina stopped suddenly, seeing a room with a door wide open that had, evidently, been blown off it's hinges. Daring to peek inside, she recognized that she was in a state room on board the ship. Though moldy, soaked, and ragged, she could see the elegance of the room as it once had been.

A large bed dominated the far wall by the shattered windows, a desk across from it. There was a mirror but it was broken beyond repair for which she breathed a sigh of relief. There was also a sea chest, lid open, with damp and wet clothes decaying inside. Walking over to the desk, she found a page from a book wedged in one of the drawers.

"31 Octavious. Captain's Journal. I've been a fool. A right bloody fool. Ever since that storm caught us at Lawson's Reef we've had nothing but problems. First the cargo shifts forcing the _Areta_ to list to starboard. Then Freddie, the lookout on the mizzenmast, falls to his death. Charles gets caught by the anchor chain and breaks both legs. Then Mitchell goes missing. The Weather Eye is next to useless. We've drifted too close to the Island of Mists. If anyone finds this journal, if anyone finds this wreck, I beg of you, leave at once lest you suffer the same fate as us. Our passenger, he wasn't what we thought. Wasn't what **I** thought. The shield. The shield is the key..."

The writing on the book jerked and stopped and Nina saw what looked to be a red smear on the book. Nina heard moaning and backed away into the room and hid near the vanity. She had never been so scared before in all her life.

 _(Ryu, Sara, Aargh, Javier...please...save me...)_

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Not much to say, still working on the second half of the _Areta_ so it'll be along soon.

Next Chapter: Ship of Ghouls


	8. Ship of Ghouls

Okay, Part 2 of the _Areta_ is done. Hope ya'll enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 7: Ship of Ghouls

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Ryu, Sara, Javier, and Aargh were slowly moving through the hold of the ship. So far they had almost reached the aft castle but had yet to find a single undead entity. Ryu thought this odd, seeing as they were approaching the 'heart' of the ghost ship. He thought about voicing it to Javier but he was too engrossed with finding Nina than worrying about a lack of enemies. Ryu came alongside him as Javier and Aargh moved a rotten timber from their path and spoke.

"Javier, do you think it's possible that blood magic is involved? I mean, it seems odd, we're heading towards what should be the catalyst, right? Shouldn't the undead be protecting it?" Javier halted for a moment and looked around for a moment before turning to Ryu.

"Given what I know of blood magic, that's a very astute observation. True, the undead should be thickest here where we close in on the heart but for some reason we haven't found a single one...why?" Javier placed his left hand on his chin as he thought and then looked down the corridor.

"Aargh, was it my imagination or were those doors open a few moments ago?" Aargh turned to the doors to the aft castle and nodded.

"Aye, and unlike the other times, I didn't feel no wind blow through so it wasn't the wind. Something else is here..." At that moment, a green flicker appeared near the door, getting Sara's attention and she pointed to it.

"There! Something's materializing!" Javier turned, preparing a spell when suddenly the ghost finished appearing and raised its hands.

 _"Stop! Don't attack!"_ The cry startled Javier who botched the spell and had it reflect back on him, creating a soft ' _whoomph_ ' sound as he vanished in a cloud of smoke and reappeared as the smoke dissipated, charred but unharmed. Needless to say he wasn't happy.

"You, spirit. Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a battlemage in the middle of a casting? You're very fortunate I didn't blow the ship to splinters." Aargh looked at Javier, confusion on his eyes.

"Mage...that's an undead...why are you not fighting it?" Javier looked to the wolfman and then to the spirit.

"Because this is an entrapped soul. Likely one of the crewmen who died when the _Areta_ sank. Unlike the undead, entrapped souls are beings born of innocence and good who only wish to enter the next life and recieve eternal rest." The spirit touched his sailor's hat in a salute and smiled.

 _"You're right about me being a spirit, mage, but you're incorrect about my reasons, as well as the_ Areta _. I was asleep until I heard a screaming from the Captain's quarters but now the doors are sealed. I'm afraid the creature sealed them to protect the shield."_ Javier looked to the spirit, now curious.

"Tell me, what did you mean I was 'wrong'? The _Areta_ sank off the coast of the Island of Mists and you are likely one of the younger members of her ill-fated crew. What did I get wrong?"

 _"Everything. Tell me, have you been finding the journal pages I scattered about?"_ In answer Javier pulled out a clump of papers he had collected and nodded.

"Yes, everything except the last entry is here." The spirit nodded.

 _"The last entry is the Captain's lament. The_ Areta _wasn't sunk by the mists, she was burned and scuttled by her own crew to prevent it from escaping."_ **THAT** got Javier's attention.

"What is ' **it** '?"

 _"The Shield Demon. Our last passenger, the one who wanted to go to South Point. He was a monk guarding a cursed relic, a shield of some sort that imprisoned a powerful demon. He was needed daily on the deck to recharge himself before returning below and praying and meditating to keep the seal on the shield intact. During the journey though, another passenger barged into his room and murdered the monk. Without the monk to keep the seal, the demon was able to possess the man and forced him to start killing the crew and then raising them as undead. The Captain, he found out too late to save us and ordered us to burn the ship."_ Javier swore vehemontly.

"So then, the Weather Eye, it isn't the catalyst keeping the _Areta_ afloat is it?" The spirit shook his head.

 _"No sir. Quite the opposite. The demon cannot cross open water. So it needs a ship to take it where it wants to go. The Weather Eye is connected to the ship through the crew and thus far the crew that is not possessed has been able to steer the ship in rough waters in the hope of sinking it again, all the while avoiding land and other ships to keep our fate from befalling them as well. Sadly, the demon appears to have wrested enough control over the Weather Eye to intercept your ship. Our bodies may be in thrall to the demon but our souls are still free. For now, at least."_

Javier looked to the spirit and then to the hallway.

"Can you take us to the Captain's Quarters? You may not be able to enter but _we_ can." The spirit nodded and turned.

 _"Right this way to the Captain's Cabin. Be warned though, the spirits are free and will not harm you but as I said our bodies or what's left of them are enthralled by the demon. Chances are they will detect you going for the shield and will try to stop you."_ Javier muttered something and the were-light grew brighter and followed the spirit down the old hallway.

Ryu found himself glancing left and right at different times to see if any of these spirits were nearby them. Once or twice he thought he saw a shadow of a man in the reflection of a mirror or a figure walking through the shadows around the corner and he was spooked. He gazed at Aargh and noticed that, though unsettled, the wolfman was still stoic and calm and kept a close eye on Ryu. Aargh caught his glance and gave Ryu a reassuring half smile before looking back to Javier and the spirit.

"So tell us spirit, what became of the Captain?" The spirit hung its head low and shook it.

"After the Captain ordered the ship burned and sunk, the demon, in its anger at being thwarted, ripped the Captain's soul from his body and hurled it into the Abyss. The Captain's body is the only corpse that was never raised. Why that is, I don't know." Javier overheard this and nodded.

"I know why that is. An undead corpse is a corpse that has no chance of a soul reinhabiting it. You say the demon ripped the Captain's soul and hurled it into the Abyss? That means that it severed the Astral link between body and soul. When it did that, the body became a useless shell. In laymans terms, raising corpses is simply tying what remains of the body's astral energies in knots and giving it a small portion of dark magic to sustain itself while as a body without the astral energies is simply a shell. Think of it as a bucket with a hole in it. You could try every animation spell in the book but unless you are somehow a god and reincarnate the body, it's going to remain lifeless. Many theologies in the world today call such an event a 'true death'. This demon is either very powerful or has a very powerful master to be able to do such a thing." Aargh growled in his throat and gazed ahead.

"You're not making me feel any better, mage. Worse, now I'm worried all the more for Nina."

Suddenly, the spirit stopped and gazed ahead, a frightened expression on its face.

"On your guard! The dead walk towards us. There! See where the shadows roam?"

Even though the hallway was dark, some sunlight filtered in through the old boards. The group could see shadows passing in between the lights. Without preamble, Javier muttered an incantation and sent a ball of fire blasting towards the shadows.

A blast of steam erupted from the shadows and moaning was heard. Javier took a step back.

"I thought that it was weak to fire magic like most undead...however, I forget that bodies raised from the deep are water-based and thus, immune to fire." Sara sighed and walked up and hurled a lightning bolt at the shadow, causing it to screech and then vanish. She turned and looked at Javier and smiled.

"I'm surprised you didn't remember that sooner, Javier. Water beats fire but lightning beats water." Javier nodded but then smiled.

"There is another law of magic that like must make like. If the undead here are water-based, then the demon must also be water-based. That means it is likely a minion of either Calysi or Danora...then again, it's a _shield_ demon and that means...Malice...she always did have a liking for imprisoning her minions in material objects. She would seal them into material objects, a sword, a shield, a staff, or something else and send it to a particularly... _gifted_ follower of hers to use in furthering her own goals." Aargh growled and then turned back to Javier.

"Malice? That same demoness who has a blood-pact on your soul?" Javier nodded.

"Yes. Davrak and the other infernal lords enjoy watching their servants fight against each other for either their own glory or for their master's. Of Davrak's servants, Malice is the most powerful and veteran of them all. Compared to her, Ralien, the beast we faced at the dam, is a weakling. Hmm...I'm trying to recall the lore about the so-called 'Weapons of Malice'...I think...yes, that has to be it. The shield demon is Aquarn, the Shield of Tides. He was responsible for the destruction of Geast, the city of Piers, roughly three-hundred years ago. According to the legend, he and his wielder brought a tidal wave onto the city but his wielder was killed by a travelling monk and the shield locked away in the monestary ever since." The spirit sighed.

"Until the monk came aboard. One of the days we were in doldrums, the Captain got to talkin' with the monk and he mentioned something about the monestary having been destroyed in a fire. All the senior masters and monks were relocated to one of their brother monestaries and the shield was sent under guard. Along the way though, misfortune befell the monks and all but the one who boarded the ship were killed." Aargh growled at that.

"Why not just dump the cursed thing in the ocean and be rid of it?" Javier actually _laughed_ at that.

"Did you really just say that? Would you really toss a shield imprisoning a _water_ demon who creates whirlpools and tidal waves into a major trade route between four nations?" Aargh coughed and looked away sheepishly.

"No...not really." Javier harrumphed and turned away and started back down the hall.

Moments later, the group came to a door and the spirit nodded.

"Looks like the demon bolstered the number of undead in here. It's placed itself under heavy guard." Ryu suddenly paled and pulled his sword free.

"This has to be the only room where Nina is! Aargh, Javier, help me get it open!" Aargh, realizing that Ryu was right, grabbed the old door and pulled with all his strength but the door didn't even budge. Ryu turned and saw Javier readying his bladestaff and channeling energy into the staff.

"Get clear from the door!" Ryu and Aargh leapt from the door just as Javier unleashed an explosive wave of force that struck the door with force equivalent to a broadside from a warship's cannons.

The doors creaked, groaned, moaned, and then finally gave way with a ear-splitting _crack_ as whatever magic was holding them closed broke and the doors fell inwards, flattening two undead on the other side.

Aargh and Ryu jumped into the room and killed the undead trapped under the door and then blocked the cutlasses of the two undead that rushed them. Sara unleashed a lightning spell that struck another and Javier ran in, holding the bladestaff low and swinging it around for maximum reach, similar to how a pikeman would swing a spear around by the butt of the haft to reach a distance enemy. The force of the blade swinging around cleaved an enemy in half. Ryu looked around the room as his friends and sister fought the undead and yelled as loud as he could.

"Nina! Nina, are you in here?!" Almost instantly he saw Nina peek up from behind the bed and then saw her point to an undead seated by the far wall that gave off an unearthly green glow. In one hand was a cutlass and the other hefted what looked to be a tower shield that was made of black-stained steel, enlaid with silver, and then had a what looked to be leather, but what Ryu's draconic senses confirmed to be human flesh, fitted to the back of the shield and had sigils etched in blood on the silver work.

The body rose, turned towards the group, and grinned wickedly. The voice coming from it deep yet warped as if speaking through water.

 _"So...you are the group of poor souls I caught, eh? Well, I do hope you know that it is dreadfully impolite to barge aboard a ship without so much as a 'by-your-leave' from the Captain...or have I been sealed away for so long that civility at sea is no longer known?"_ Javier grimaced and approached, bladestaff glowing.

"You are one to talk, demon...or should I call you Aquarn? I don't suppose your host is in any shape to tell me his name."

Aquarn managed a look of surprise before smiling again.

 _"So...you know of me...and if you know of me you must also be a warrior of Malice, in which case I am obligated to tell you that you stand before one of her most favored Weapons and that should you return me to her, she would likely reward you handsomely."_ Javier chuckled at that.

"I used to be one of Malice's pets, aye. But that was before I found the light and now walk in it. Your words do not tempt me demon, nor do your false promises. It has been three hundred years since your name was on her tongue, and in that time she has created several more weapons far more powerful than you and heroes time and again destroy or seal them away. I'm quite certain that Malice has forgotten all about you." This time the demon growled and the shield actually vibrated on the undead arm that held it and then, much to the group's horror, the shut silver eye in the center of the shield opened to reveal a gold and predatory yellow iris and a black slit pupil much like a reptile. The eye blazed with anger at this slight and this time the voice actually came from _within_ the shield.

 _"You are a fool to mock me within my own domain, mortal! I am Aquarn, the Shield of Tides, Forger or Whirlpools and Scourge of the Deep. I have swallowed countless cities and ships along with their crews and citizens. This ship, the_ Areta _, is only my most recent aquisition! To mock me is to mock the very ocean on which we are now!"_ Javier shouted an incantation meant to break a demon's hold on a corpse and suddenly, the body flashed and the sound of a chain snapping was heard. Aquarn howled in rage as he faded back into the shield momentarily. The undead, now released of the shield's grasp, coughed and gazed at the group, it's eyes now regaining a simblance of life and filled with remorse.

"Heed...me...living ones...this demon...he seeks...freedom...I...I don't know what...He thought...sending children...but...the...the Captain...he must have seen...something...in you..." The spirit heard this and came forward excitedly.

 _"Mr. Reen! Sir, you saw the Captain?!"_

The body gave a wayward smile and nodded.

"Aye lad...though He be...trapped...betwixt and between...he is still...alive...He came to me...while the demon rested...and told me of a ship...carrying those who had...the strength to free us...That is why the...Weathereye...she answered to my hand...for the first time since...we sank..."

Sara and Ryu puzzled for a moment and then remembered then gazed at a painting on the wall of the cabin. Though waterlogged and old, they could make out the face of the man in the painting and Sara recognized it as the face of the man they had seen at the Areta Memorial before they set sail. Suddenly, the corpse of Reen began grunting and then regained that green light from before as the demon regained control of its host.

 _"So! That fool is still alive, eh? Don't be so surprised, I may be a shield on the outside but I still can hear everything that was said! Now that I know how the_ Areta _caught you, I suppose you are too dangerous for me to try and possess. So, sadly, that means I'll have to kill you all. I have enough undead that I can still storm the other ship and deliver myself safely to shore and back into Malice's hands."_ Javier whipped his bladestaff into a fighting position, his face twisted into a snarl.

"I'm not going to give you the chance. Ryu, Aargh, Sara, if we destroy the shield, we can release the undead and send the _Areta_ back to the depths."

The group readied their weapons as Aquarn rose from his seat, snarling angrily.

 _"You will NOT deny me my victory! Once I kill you, I will use your bodies for my servants and give your souls to Malice!"_

Sara immediately cast a powerful lightning spell. Aquarn saw this coming and raised the shield to stop it. The lightning arced around the shield and disperced.

 _"Is that the best you have?"_

Javier enchanted his blade with lightning magic and swung the it in an arc that created a whip-like creation that swung around the shield and electrified the Aquarn's host. While Javier stabilized the lightning whip, he looked to Sara and Ryu.

"Sara! Attack it now! Ryu! Get Nina!"

Aquarn leveled a gaze at Ryu and then turned to see a young girl hiding behind the bed in the room and cursed himself for not sensing her sooner.

 _"Stop him, my minions...Ugh! Get the girl!"_

Three undead shambled towards Nina who produced her wand and screamed an incantation that froze the corpses in place. Ryu reached Nina and looked at her with amazement.

"When did you learn magic?" Nina chuckled despite herself and waved the wand around.

"I've always known. I've just never had cause to use it." She then turned to Aquarn and frowned.

"Until now."

Aquarn saw that he had enemies on two sides and began to fall back across the room. No one, save the monk who had sealed him away centuries ago, had lasted this long against him. If it were possible for a corpse and shield to sweat, Aquarn would have.

 _"Looks like I've no other option...So be it! You've forced my hand!"_

Aquarn cast a spell which cast out multiple icicles through the room. Javier managed to shield Aargh by casting a fire spell and Nina did the same for Ryu but one of the ice darts was too fast and struck Sara. Ryu turned and saw her as she fell backwards. Aargh was there, eyes wide, and leapt to catch her as she fell back.

"Sara!"

Aquarn laughed as he straightened up and smiled wickedly, all previous fear gone.

 _"Well, it appears I've hurt someone...important...If you surrender now, I might be genreous and end you all quickly."_

Ryu sheathed his sword and stood up, eyes blazing.

"You harmed my sister. _No one_ harms my big sister!"

Aquarn's triumphant smile faded as Ryu's body began glowing slightly, scales overlapping skin, a tail and wings forming. Then he was enveloped completely in light. Javier looked on in amazement as Sara came to, the wound already healing, saw her brother and smiled.

"Excellent. He's Awakened. Mother...would have been proud to see this day."

As the group and Aquarn looked on, Ryu almost doubled his height, the transperant tail became corporeal, the wings extended slightly and then, moments later, the light dissipated revealing a young dragon whelp where Ryu had stood. Slowly, the young dragon opened his eyes and let out a keen and straightened up. The pupils narrowed to slits as they looked about, spotted Sara, then turned back to Aquarn who had remembered his fear.

 _"It...It's not possible! A...A SILVER dragon?! Of all the rotten luck!"_

Ryu opened his mouth and unleashed a beam of light that shot towards Aquarn who raised the shield to block the attack. The light beam didn't slow down a bit. It blew a hole through the shield and then incinerated the undead behind it. Aquarn let out a shrill cry of anguish as the host body turned to ash and crumbled. The shield however, remained held in place with the hole through it where the eye had been. Then, the metal began cracking, the wood started burning with blueish-black flames, the silverwork rusted, turned black and fell away, the human flesh turned to ash and the blood sigils warped and vanished along with the silverwork.

Javier watched as the shield crumbled into dust and vanished, Aquern's anguished cries faded with it. He then saw Ryu revert to human form and run to his sister who was sitting upright and smiling.

"Sister, did you see me? Did you see me? I shifted! I shifted!" Sara laughed and ruffled her little brother's blue hair and smiled.

"I saw. Mother would have been so proud of you. Father, too, if he were alive." Ryu nodded and then looked around and saw several spirits gathered around. All of them relief clear on their faces. The spirit who had guided them to the cabin came forward and spoke.

 _"Thank you friend. Now the Areta can rest in peace once more and we can pass on to the next life. Before we go though, may we ask your name so that we may tell your Father of your deeds?"_ Ryu nodded.

"I am Ryu and this is my sister, Sara, we are the only children of the Silver Tempest and the Silver Knight." One of the spirits came forth, his expression changing to shock.

 _"The Silver Knight?! The same Silver Knight who slew the sea monster that terrorized Tunlan several years ago? W-What became of him?"_ Ryu shook his head confused.

"He died when the _Areta_ sunk. He was a passenger on this ship. He boarded at Hiro." The spirit went to the captain's desk and pointed to a book on the desk.

 _"Now lad, I don't know the Silver Knight's name. But there was no one like that on this ship. Besides, all out passengers from Hiro disembarked at either Seaside or Port Haldis. I don't know if the Silver Knight died since then but I can tell you for certain he did not die on THIS ship."_

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Well, after a regretable delay, I now have Chapter 7 posted. Sorry for the long update times. I just haven't had many BoF ideas coming to mind recently. Make no mistake I have no plans to let the story die but I'll just be updating slowly. I apprieciate the patience of all those who read my stories.


	9. An Informative Trip

Hey everyone, I'm back with another BoF update. Man, I've been playing BoF 2 on the Wii and BoF 3 on the PSP (I know, I'm a bit behind the times) in an effort to gain some ideas for the story. With everything that's been happening though to tell the truth, it's hard to come up with ideas without forcing them.

Also, sorry for the delays in writing these chapters. I _really_ don't mean to take so long but as you know I take care of my parents and as a result don't have much time to myself these days (except at night when I only really get some time to myself which is also when I do the majority of my writing).

Well anyway, on with the story.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 8: An Informative Trip

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Ryu gazed at the port coming into view and gazed up at the seagulls swarming around the masts. To be honest, he felt relieved to be back on dry land but at the same time he felt cold. Worried. He thought back to what he had been told on the _Areta._

' _Now lad, I don't know the Silver Knight's name. But there was no one like that on this ship. Besides, all out passengers from Hiro disembarked at either Seaside or Port Haldis. I don't know if the Silver Knight died since then but I can tell you for certain he did not die on THIS ship_.'

 _(If he wasn't on the Areta, then what happened to him? I wonder...What could have caused Father to leave Mother?)_

He wondered about that and decided that he would begin asking once they reached Bastiova. That is if he didn't find out anything sooner. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice Sara come up beside him. As usual, he was an open book to his sister.

"Thinking about what the spirit said about our Father?" Ryu nodded.

"I was just thinking...if he was alive all this time...why didn't he come home? Didn't he love Mother...didn't he love _us_?" Sara nodded.

"He did Ryu, rest assured he did. It's just...Only Mother knew why he never returned." Ryu sighed and gazed at the port and then back to Sara.

"Where do you think he is now?" Sara shook her head.

"I don't know. It's possible that maybe he died after he disembarked from the _Areta_. Like the spirit said, he may have died elsewhere, just not on the _Areta_." Ryu gazed back towards the port again.

"I just... I just wanted to believe that maybe there was a chance that we still had a parent... that we aren't orphans..." Sara looked at him sternly.

"Hey, remember this, you have me little brother. And I promise you that, as long as I live, you will _never_ be alone." Ryu looked to his sister and smiled.

"Thanks Sara."

A moment later, Javier came up on deck and stood by them.

"Captain says he's putting into Seaside for repairs. We'll disembark there and then work our way to Lake Town and then from there we go our seperate ways. I just recieved a letter from the King of Wyndia and he's eagerly awaiting his daughter's return. I also promised Aargh that I'll find some work for him in Lake Town or perhaps even Shen or Vilka in Wyndia." Ryu nodded and then looked at the dock.

"Hey Javier! Look at that! There are other people dressed just like you on the docks!" Javier whirled around so fast his helm spun halfway round his head. He caught it, straightened it and then sighed.

"Gods save me..."

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As the group stepped ashore, the soldiers Ryu had spotted surrounded them. Each man had his viser down to hide his face except one who approached with his helm off. Javier came forward and snapped to attention and saluted.

"C-Commander Arton, I...uh...I have returned from my assignment sir."

The man now known as Arton grimaced and then scanned the group, then gave a crooked smile as if laughing at some unspoken joke.

" _Assignment_ you say? I was not aware that the Order now sent Acolytes on assignments. Unless you have been granted the title of Knight without my knowledge. What say you _Sir_ Javier?"

Javier coughed nervously.

"Did you honestly think that the Order would not receive word of you or learn of this so-called 'Assignment' of yours? You disobeyed the orders of your Knight-Sergeant, went to that backwater nation...what's it called...Rotchilled, Rothshield...whatever it's called on an unauthorized patrol and then have the nerve to send in reports that are so obviously filled with lies it's actually sad. Hah, rescuing Princess Nina of Wyndia indeed. Also how dare you invoke the name of Lord William in your letter. I suppose you should know that he has disavowed you." He then looked to the group.

"As for your group, I suppose I shall have them clapped in irons for aiding you in this...ill-thought attempt to brush off your insubordination with an attempt at heroism."

"You will not, sir."

Arton turned to see Nina came up, a look of defiance on her face. He turned red and pointed at her.

"Just who are _you_ supposed to be? Oh, let me guess, _Princess_ Nina. I must admit the resemblance is uncanny but then again they say that everyone has a twin somewhere. Now that I see that the majority of your 'party' is little more than children I suppose that I could just arrest _you_ and spare these young minds the horrors of Bastiova's dungeons."

At that moment, Aargh growled and came forward, one of the men panicked and fell back.

"Gods! It-It's a werewolf! Javier you fool you've been dabbling in dark magic again haven't you?!" Aargh huffed and crossed his arms.

"Werewolf indeed. Tis a poor human who doesn't recognize a wolf man when he sees one or compares us to those abominations twisted by dark magic. I would suggest either getting out more or removing your helm so that your vision is unobstructed. Oh wait... that's your face." The soldier balked and halfway drew his sword in anger.

"Stop!"

Arton and the knights turned to see a figure in a red cloak running towards them along with three men in green armor and a tall man in what looked to be white and silver ornate plate armor covered in a deep black and red cape keeping an easy stride with them. Arton immediately sheathed his sword (which he had drawn when Aargh spoke) and saluted.

"Grandmaster! As per your orders, we have arrested the traitor Javier and his party!" The grandmaster quickly paled and looked to the knights.

"You fools! You bloody fools! Take a look at that young lady there, do you not see the wings on her back?! That is the _real_ Princess!" The soldiers turned and gazed at Nina as she flared her wings for emphasis. Arton paled and then turned to the man.

"Sir...I assumed that the girl was some other Wyndian that had been kidnapped. I never assumed..." At that moment the knight in silver armor spoke, his voice distorted by the enclosed helm.

 _"I thought one of the mantra of the Order was to 'Never Assume Anything'? Why do you pass condemnation upon one of your own when clearly he has done nothing to deserve such reprehensible treatment from his fellows?"_ The grandmaster turned, his doughy face quickly paling.

"S-Sentinel... I.. I.. I.. I.. I.. I had no idea that this was truth until the Wyndian soldiers arrived here. I issued the order in the-"

 _"In the_ _ **assumption**_ _that this brave young group was actually spinning a yarn? It seems that there are many assumptions coming from the Order these days. First there is the loss of His Imperial Majesty's ship Indomitable in the Great Lake, then the raid on the Takartan Monestary, and now the kidnapping and safe return of the Wyndian Princess. Many assumptions indeed."_

Javier gazed at the one the grandmaster called 'Sentinel' and immediately stepped forward and dropped to a knee.

"Sentinel. Is... Is it true? Lord William has disavowed me?" Thre was no motion from the man other than a slight incline of his helmed head.

 _"It is true. The Grandmaster's assuptions and the wild rumors your fellows spread from east to west did fare to rival the Blight a few hundred years back and reached the ears of the nobility quicker than the spies each noble employs could bring them word of it. Because of this, Lord William has severed all ties to you and has also withdrawn his support to avoid any possible embarrassment. You are, technically, part of the Order. As is such, you must be imprisoned because you were once a necromancer, you also know the arts, and are an expert with the bladestaff."_

Ryu frowned and came forward.

"You want Javier? You have to go through me!" Javier went dead white and grabbed Ryu and pulled him back.

"Forgive him Sentinel. He and his sister are new to our lands and do not know our laws and customs."

He was surprised by laughter.

 _"No apologies nessessary. I would not be a Sentinel is I did not possess a great deal of patience. It is the only way I can deal with the constant screwups and missteps of the nobility and our own guards. What is the lad's name?"_ Ryu gazed at the warrior.

"R-Ryu, sir. And this is my sister, Sara."

 _"Fine names, both. As for Javier, you need not worry. I have no intention of arresting him. As far as I'm concerned, the Order's loss is our gain."_ Javier looked to the Sentinel in surprise.

"Beg pardon?"

 _"As you know, Javier, the Lord Sentinel is the Emperor's right hand. He is his protector, his spymaster, his general. He is, as far as anyone is concerned, the only living person he can trust with all things. As such, he is allowed squires to assist him in his duties. He can have up to four squires and Javier, I have been asked to seek out talented individuals who may be the type of person he is looking for. You have proven yourself diligent and loyal in your duties. What say you?"_ Javier, Arton, and the Grandmaster gaped at the man. Javier simply nodded feebly, still aghast at the chance he was being given.

"I- I'd be honored, Sentinel." The man nodded and turned to the others.

 _"Now then, may I ask what the reason for your party to come here is? Aside from escorting Princess Nina, that is."_ Aargh came up.

"I am escorting these children to Bastiova. We thought that they would find their uncle there but, Javier told us he died and that his home was now part of someone's buisness." The knight nodded again.

 _"I see. Well, I am sorry for your losses. As I am returning to the capital myself, I shall endeavor to escort you all."_

The Wyndia knights came forth and nodded.

"That would be much appreciated Sentinel, however, we shall be taking an overland route that will go to New Karn and then cross the Continent Bridge to Shem and continue to Wyndia from there. The Sentinel nodded.

 _"Very well, then we shall accompany you to Lake Town and then we shall part ways."_ The guards looked to each other and then nodded, somewhat dubiously until the Sentinel clarified.

 _"It is a matter of honor. The princess was abducted while visiting our nation and as a Sentinel, I feel responsible for the failure. Plus, there has been an increase of bandit activity as of late for some unknown reasons. It is as if they are growing bolder and more aggressive. There have also been rumors of bandits taming monsters near the Falavian Hills. It would be prudent to go together as, I believe the old saying is, safety in numbers."_ The guards looked to one another and then looked to Nina who smiled and nodded.

"I never got to finish my tour of the Empire. Plus, I _really_ wouldn't like to experience being kidnapped again. Besides, it wouldn't feel right leaving until I know that Ryu and Sara find their home. They are not just gifted people who aided me, they are my friends." The leader of the Wyndian guards smiled and nodded.

"It is as you wish, Your Highness. Sentinel, we would be honored is you would accompany us." The Sentinel nodded and then motioned for Javier.

 _"First however, this must be done. Javier Koln, kneel."_

Javier came forward and knelt before the Sentinel who drew a longsword from his side. He then set the blade on each of Javier's shoulders, then set it on his head and then hoisted it in a salute of some sort.

 _"By the Will and Word of the Emperor. In the names of the Gods. By the honor of the Sentinels who guard and protect the innocent and the just. Javier Koln, former Acolyte of the Order of the Magis Knights, rise and be known as Sir Javier Koln, Knight of the Empire and Shield-bearer of the Lord Sentinel."_

Javier rose when he said this, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. Aargh gave a smile and crossed his arms and nodded as if assuring him that what had happened really did just happen. Sara and Ryu looked at each other then looked to Nina who, being a Princess, would likely know what such a ceremony meant. She saw their expressions and smiled while she explained.

"Javier has just become a true knight. If I recall correctly, it is only official once the Emperor confirms it but any of those Sentinels of high rank can knight a warrior of exceptional skill if they deem he or she worthy." Nina turned to the Sentinel.

"Since that's the case, may I ask your name and rank, Sir?" The Sentinel nodded.

 _"I am Sentinel-Lieutenant Welkin Hauser. Yes, before you say anything, I_ _ **am**_ _the younger brother of Duke Hauser, however, for the sake of my father, I hold no claim to the name or the estate. My brother, being the eldest, inherited it and I joined the Sentinels. Once you are in the Sentinels, you leave whatever you were behind be it noble, knight, commoner, your past means nothing."_

Nina nodded that she understood and Ryu and Sara joined a beaming Javier as the group walked on leaving the group of dumbfounded Order knights to be publicly and thoroughly berated by the Grandmaster. As they exited the city, Javier found himself alongside Sentinel Hauser and took the opportunity to ask him some questions.

"So, the Lord Sentinel, I've never met him just heard about him. Is it true he once slew shade demon with one strike? What about the story that people talk about all the time that he single handedly held off an enemy attack during the war, saving both the Emperor as well as the shattered Second Corps? Or the story that he actually fought alongside the Silver Knight?"

Hauser chuckled as he heard the questions and answered them all good-naturedly.

 _"To answer your questions. Yes, the Lord Sentinel is one of the strongest Light-magic users in the world, only the famed healer Paracelsus is greater. He did indeed slay not one, but_ _ **three,**_ _shade demons with one swing of his sword but the strike was enchanted with some of the holiest light magic he knew of at the time. Yes, during the war he single handedly held off the army of the Bandit King, even going so far as to cut down the Bandit King personally and present his head to the Emperor once the enemy host had fled. That was what made the Emperor award him the title of Lord Sentinel."_ Then, he went silent about the third question and sighed.

 _"Javier... There are matters that the Lord Sentinel doesn't discuss with_ _ **anyone**_ _. Not even the Emperor. Yes, it is said he fought alongside the Silver Knight but never, under any circumstances, ask him about it. I will not go into detail but suffice it to say that it is a sore subject with him._ _ **Never**_ _ **ask the Lord Sentinel about the Silver Knight**_ _. Am I clear?"_ Javier nodded, Hauser coughed.

 _"Now, if there was a rumor floating about that was as to_ _ **why**_ _the subject is forbidden in the Lord Sentinel's presense, it is rumored that he was a soldier who volunteered to fight in the war only because he believed the Silver Knight would be around to protect his nation from monsters. However, both the Silver Knight and the Silver Tempest vanished, leaving the land open to the monsters."_ Hauser took a moment to make a mark as if he were asking a divine for forgiveness for speaking rumors of his Commander.

 _"The Lord Sentinel lost his wife and daughter to a monster attack in the last days of the war. After recieving news of it, he abandoned his name, went to the Empire and since then has only been called Lord Sentinel. Only the Emperor knows his true name but he doesn't speak it for fear or reopening old wounds."_ Javier nodded slowly and then glanced back at Ryu who was playing with Nina and Sara a little ways back with the Wyndian guards and Aargh watching them.

"So, what will my duties be?"

 _"Ah, an easy question to answer. You will be one of the Lord Sentinel's shield-bearers. Meaning that while he protects the Emperor, your duty will be to protect_ _ **him**_ _. You will also be responsible for assisting him in whatever ways needed such as paperwork, training, audiences, inspections, things of that nature. All boring stuff anyway as the Lord Sentinel is the strongest warrior in the Empire. Well, ever since Albriech died."_ Javier looked to him curiously.

"Albriech?" Hauser nodded.

 _"Indeed. Albriech Cutter, he was a Sentinel. In fact it was he who held the title of Lord Sentinel before the new Lord Sentinel replaced him. I don't know the details but he was killed while fighting a necromancer of some sort near Sepulcher. His body was returned home to Azfrozov where he was born and that was that. He had a unique fighting style, the way he wielded a halberd was nothing short of impressive. To see him fight was to see a masterpiece of motion. Every move was fluid, flawless, and precise. He never passed down what he knew so his fighting style died with him."_ Javier thought of something and looked back to him.

"What of the current Lord Sentinel? What is his fighting style?" Hauser actually laughed at that, getting the attention of Ryu and the others.

 _"The Lord Sentinel's fighting style is as unique as he is. He is a master of the blade in more ways than one. He can wield all manner of swords but prefers a sword and shield approach. However, he... 'overdoes' it a bit. His sword of choice is a bastard sword but he also uses a claymore and can wield both with one hand easily. He also has a preferred shield. A_ _ **tower**_ _shield to be precise. There's a reason why he's never lost a practice match in training and why he's the most sought after instructor in the art of swordplay. Physically, he's stronger than any man I've ever met. His motions, even when wearing his battle plate armor, are almost too swift to follow. He can batter a guarding opponent into complete submission within seven strikes. He can destroy an attacker ever quicker."_ Hauser seemed to stop for a moment as if remembering something with reverence.

 _"I faced him once myself in the practice arena. I had the distinction of lasting the longest against him ever. It took him fifteen attacks to finally knock me to the ground. To date though, no one has ever touched him. That goes back to that subject I told you about earlier. Only two people could have ever matched the Lord Sentinel. The Silver Knight, and Albriech Cutter; and one's dead and the other's missing. I suppose that may be overexaggerating a bit but to my knowledge it is the truth. No one in our current ranks has_ _ **ever**_ _been able to touch him with a practice weapon. His defence is unbreachable and his attacks border on superhuman."_ Ryu smiled and came foreward.

"Do you think I may get a chance at facing him one day? I practice I mean. My sister was always sparring with me but it would be good to actually train against someone who knows the sword and doesn't use magic when the tide turns against them." Sara huffed as she overheard that.

"Since _when_ **little** brother have you ever gotten the upper hand against _ME_? _**Never**_. As for me using my magic, I just have a natural affinity for it and feel that, in order to offer a stronger challenge to test yourself, I should not hold back. If Father or Mother were here, they'd both say the same thing." Hauser got a glimpse of Ryu's expression and chuckled again.

 _"Well, if magic is your preferred ability, I would suggest applying to the Imperial Academy of High Magic. If you have a lot of potential, they'll gladly accept you. However, Ryu, no one simply meets with the Lord Sentinel. You must first be given an invitation from him personally and that only happens if some one passes along your name or he happens to see you in person by chance on the streets. Even on the streets he is an_ _ **extremely**_ _busy man and oftentimes cannot be stopped by simply anyone wanting to speak with him. Suffice it to say that with the Emperor growing older by the day more and more responsibility has been piled onto his shoulders."_ Sara thought that odd and gazed at Hauser.

"Does the Emperor not have an heir?" Hauser gave out what seemed to be a sigh and again gazed upwards to the heavens before answering.

 _"The Emperor indeed has an heir but... there is something..._ _ **off**_ _with the young man. If I had to guess he's about the same age as young Ryu here, or perhaps a little younger, but the boy tends to be... eccentric about some things. For example, he will not eat a meal unless everything is in a certain place, the servants are in certain clothes, and the guests are in certain seats. Furthermore, when he practices against his tutors, he insists on using actual swords instead of wooden practice blades."_ Hauser gzed around and then continued.

 _"Most tutors, once they've had enough of his attitude or have lost their last shred of patience... or the last finger on their sword hand, whichever comes first, leave the palace and are seemingly never heard from again. The Prince does not take failure easily and firmly believes himself to be the greatest swordsman in the world and is daily training himself to one day be the first man to 'strike a blow' against the Lord Sentinel. If not for the Blood Rite, I dare say the Emperor would have relinquished the throne to one of the nobles rather than risk his son taking it."_ Ryu looked to Hauser curiously.

"Blood Rite? What's that?"

 _"It is said that in ancient times when dragons soared through the skies and fought one another for dominance over the land, a mighty blacksmith forged a weapon specifically to slay dragons who fought for evil. This sword was enchanted by good dragons to be used against evil dragons or whatever demons they dragged up from the underworld. The ancestor was said to be a great swordsman and the only one who could wield the sword's true power. So it was that the blood of the swordsman was used to quench the blade, binding it to him and his bloodline alone. The sword is known as Lohengriin, and has been passed down from Emperor to heir for as long as Bastiova has stood."_

 _"It is said that the day Lohengriin's enchantment fades and the sword shatters, the Empire will fall. However, it is said that the enchantments will only fail if an appropriate heir is not found by the time of the celestial equinox which happens only once very ten years or so. The sword's enchantments start fading the day the Emperor breathes his last."_

Ryu nodded like he understood but then went back beside his sister as they continued onwards. Thankfully, the rest of the trip was rather uneventful and as the sun rose on their fourth day in the Empire, they found themselves on a hill overlooking Lake Town, the only place on the massive inland lake that you could catch a ferry to Bastiova.


	10. The Imperial Capital

Hey everyone, sorry I've been taking so long with the BoF updates. It's just that I've been having trouble gaining ideas for the story and as such have been shifting my attention to other stories that ideas come easier for. To be clear, I haven't abandoned the story just, having difficulties writing it.

I just ask for your patience and understanding.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 9: The Imperial Capital

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Ryu stared in amazement as the island capital of Bastiova drew closer. Yet it was still a ways away and his attention was soon drawn to the multitude of boats that sailed the great inland sea. Most common were the fishing boats, ranging in size from small two or three person rowboats to large single or double masted sailboats that towed huge nets in the water to the left and right sides of the ship.

The ferry that Ryu and Sara currently rode upon was a graceful twin-masted ship. Unlike the ocean going vessel they had sailed on to get here, this vessel was smaller, sleeker, and was also crowded with people from stem to stern. As Ryu and Sara looked on, they heard a boisterous voice behind them and turned to see a man in a bright red coat, blue trousers, and a red and white top hat walking along the deck handing out papers left and right. As he passed out the latest parcel of papers, he spotted Ryu and Sara and came towards them.

"Hello, hello, welcome, welcome, welcome. The name's Bix. I am the tour guide/ historian/ integration specialist/ ad man/ musician and ticket seller for all who visit our great water-locked capital. Now then, may I have your names please? For the records." Ryu nodded.

"I'm Ryu, and this is my big sister Sara." Bix tapped his quill pen on his tongue for a moment before writing down their names in his book.

"Alrighty. Now then, here to visit, move, or just passing through? I know that last sounds a bit odd but some people just want to say that they've been to the capital of Tarentos before continuing out east. I swear I'd make a mint if I sold souveniers for those 'just passing through'. Now where was I? Oh yes, so visitors? New citizens? Or tourists?" Ryu looked to Sara who sighed.

"I suppose we're new citizens." Bix nodded.

"Excellent. Excellent. So then, as this is your first time to the city, do you have any relatives in the city? Any place you'll be staying?" Sara nodded.

"We're looking for our uncle's house. It's next door to a shop owned by someone names Tiga." Bix placed his hand to his chin for a moment and nodded.

"Ah yes, Tiga's General Mercantile. Let's see... that means the two of you will be heading to the Lazuli District. Okay, quick way to get there once you disembark is to head up Dock Street, go right down Fifth Street, then you'll be in the Bronze District. From there, you go left to the South Grand Avenue, then head uphill to Sixteenth Street, hang a right on L Street and then you're in the Lazuli District. Once there, simply go down L Street for about four blocks, go left on Eighteenth for about three blocks, then right again on M Street for one block. Address is 1407, the house next door is 1408." Sara nodded her thanks to him as he turned but then suddenly snapped his fingers and turned around.

"Oh, before I forget. Here. This is a map of the city to keep you from getting lost. Plus, these papers here will permit you access to the Bronze and Lazuli Districts, and these tickets will allow you to use the Walkaki Wagon." Bix then broke out into a smile.

"The Walkaki Wagon! The only way to travel in both complete safety and luxurious style in the capital of the greatest empire in the world! Consider these complementary tickets a gift to welcome you to the capital." As Sara pocketted the tickets and bid Bix farewell, Ryu grabbed hold of the railing and pointed at the looming port ahead.

"We're almost there!" Sara turned and nodded, feeling the wind blow through her azure hair. Then she heard the Captain's voice booming over the crowd on deck.

"Now approaching Bastiova's western dock! All passengers prepare to disembark and thank you for sailing with us today!"

The ship glided smoothly into the berth and the crew ran along the side tossing mooring lines to the dock workers who proceeded to quickly tie the ship in place and run three gangways to the vessel for disembarking passengers and crew. Taking Sara's hand, Ryu went with her down the gangplank closest to the bow and, after asking a quick direction from a dock worker, started down the small street towards where Bix had told them to go.

Dock Street ran, as the name suggested, from North to South along the docks. Thanks to the signs along the road they easily found Fifth Street and, down a ways, they found the large bronze plated gate that marked the entrance to Bronze District. At the gates were four soldiers clad in plate armor and one man dressed in a green military uniform. The man in green, probably an officer, stopped them as they approached.

"May I see your papers please?" Sara nodded and presented the papers. The officer looked them over and gave a half-smile.

"So, fresh off the boat, eh? What is your destination?" He returned the papers to Sara except for one.

"Our uncle's house in the Lazuli District. Next to Tiga's General Mercantile." The man nodded, walked to the nearby desk and stamped the paper he had kept before returning to Sara and handing the paper back to her.

"Very well. I hope you have a nice day. Work of warning though, stay clear of the Watch. If they spot two children walking around unescorted they will snatch you up and spirit you away to the 'Academy' of the Lost, by which I mean the Orphanage. We at the Bronze District don't much mind but the fellows in Lazuli and Gold Districts are hardliners. My advice? Use those tickets for the Walkaki Wagon as soon as you cross the gate here. They'll drive you to the house." The officer then glanced upwards to the tower on the left.

"Open the gates! Papers are clear!"

A loud _clang_ reverberated through the air as the large metal gears on either side of the wall began to rotate slowly, a large chain spinning on them. The sound of six locks giving way was heard and the massive bronze gate slowly sunk into the ground. The gate was to Ryu a wonder to behold as it wasn't a solid gate that he'd seen in other towns but was rather two thick plates of bronze covered iron that used chains and gears to lower into the ground or raise back up into the closed position.

As the gate finished lowering, two more gears started and a long narrow sheet of the same bronze covered iron ran over the gap between the walls like clockwork. This metal floor slid from left to right and once it spanned the length of the gap, the gears stopped and a metal clamp lowered to hold the piece of metal in place. What lay beyond the gate was incredible.

The capital city of Bastiova was built on an island mountain and was divided into five districts: Docks, Bronze, Lazuli, Gold and Crown. All the way up the districts was an uphill climb that, over the years as the city expanded, had been made easier and easier to climb for people and carts. Before Ryu and Sara was the Bronze Staircase, a stone-paved incline with two avenues on either side of a large stone staircase with broad bronze handrails, and every step had a bronze lip. The officer saw the looks on their faces and gave a knowing chuckle.

"If you think these stairs are something, wait until you see the Azure Stairs of the Lazuli District or, if you're fortunate enough, the Gold and Crown Staircases. Now _those_ are marvels wrought by human hand. The people who made this city must have had the gods guide their hands to make such beauty. Now, as I said, once you reach the top, present your tickets to the Walkaki Wagon post. You won't regret it."

Sara and Ryu thanked the guardsman for his help and continued up the stairs. True to his word, at the top was a station where there were several wagons with a strange looking bird/reptile/horse creature harnessed to it. The woman in the white apron spotted them approaching and smiled.

"Welcome to the Walkaki Wagon! I'm June, and this is Oscar, he's a Walkaki in case you haven't seen one before. So, do you have a ticket? Or would you like to purchase one for one-hundred zenny?" Sara produced the tickets that they had been given and the woman smiled.

"That Bix, such a nice young man. He buys a few tickets everyday to give to people off the boat." She took the tickets, used a tool from her belt to punch a hole in them, and then returned the tickets.

"Alrighty, now, my usual driver is on another job but I'm free up for a few moments. Where are you two headed?" Ryu told her.

"Okay so, Lazuli District. Climb on in and we'll be off." Ryu and Sara climbed aboard and, after a shrill whistle from June, Oscar the Walkaki started off in a slow, easy gait. Just past the station was a great street with a bronze-edged sidewalk for pedestrians to walk without worry of the traffic on the cobblestone street. The street was divided into oncoming and outgoing, separated by a small green stretch with bushes and trees giving some color to the city. As they passed some of the sights, June called them out and explained them.

"On your left here is the Bronze Topper, one of the inns here in the city. It's been in the Topper family for twelve generations and was originally an inn built for the workers building the city. Right next to it is the the Smithy. That statue there is of Lord Duquene, a warrior who helped defend the city during the Blighted Era when the city was constantly under attack from monsters, necromancers, and dark knights."

"The next store there is Black's Bakery, the owner, Morris Black, is one of the best bakers in the city. It is not uncommon to see the Emperor's chef here buying pastries and other things. Plus, on a bright and sunny day like today, even the Lord Sentinel drops by for a snack. A few doors down is the Greene Tavern and across from it is The Stout House, another tavern. The owners of the two are brother and sister and are always playing jokes on one another." Sara smiled.

"Sounds like the two of us." June laughed.

"That so? Well, here's hoping your pranks are a little more impressive than theirs. Then again, I hope not because the last prank included flinging dung at the other store front. Okay, we're almost there. Please have your papers ready as we are approaching the Lazuli Gate."

Ryu and Sara took their papers out as the wagon slowed to a complete stop and a guardsman walked towards them. June smiled to the man.

"Hello Tobin, got two for Lazuli." The guard, Tobin walkd to them and inspected their papers and nodded politely.

"Everything's in order. Welcome to the Lazuli District. Open the gate!"

Just like the Bronze Gate earlier, the Lazuli Gate operated on the same principle. Gears lowered and raised the gate and a piece of metal slid over the gap where the gate was to keep anyone from falling into it. What lay beyond the Gate however, proceeded to take Sara and Ryu's breath away.

The Azure Stairs were aptly named. Just as the Bronze District had bronze capping the edges of the stairs, the Azure Stairs actually had lapis lazuli stones specially carved and fitted to the caps of the stairs. The side of the street they were on also had large lapis lazuli stones embedded in the cobblestones every seven paces or so. Tobin caught their looks and smiled knowingly.

"Just you wait and see when the sun goes down. Lazuli District gets it's name for these stones. When the moon rises, special mirror reflect the light onto the stones so that they glow, illuminating the street even in darkness. Bathes the whole district in a soft blue glow. Heh, the people Faulklan tried to emmulate them by using rubies but the result was awful. Their old residential district became known as the Blood Moon District because when the moon rises over those rubies, they made the whole district appear soaked in blood."

Tobin gave a wave to the guards on the other side and they started off again, this time though, June didn't say anything, assuming that her passengers just wanted to look at the sights themselves. Which, to be fair, they did.

After travelling down the street for a while, the wagon finally stopped in front of a large store built into a similar sized house. June leapt down fromher seat and opened the door on the cart.

"Here we are, Tiga's General Mercantile. Just wait a minute and I'll see if he's in." June walked to the door and knocked politely. After a moment, a grizzled old feline came to the door. It took him a moment before he recognized June and broke into a broad smile.

"Miss June. Good to see you again child. You here to visit or did you need more of that Walkaki food?" June motioned to the wagon.

"Passengers actually. Said their uncle used to live here in the house next to your store." Tiga froze and looked to Ryu and Sara and sighed.

"Henry... so, you two are his kin, right? Well, I'm afraid your journey to find him is in vain. He died some time ago trying to find his brother. The tax on the house defaulted and I bought it in the event he ever returned." Tiga saw their expressions as well as June's and quickly spoke.

"Fear not, I'm not denying you shelter here. Far from it. I know how dangerous these streets can be to to young children. How about this, you two can live in the house and, since I'm getting on in years, you can work as my 'apprentices' until you find out what you need to know? It'll keep you out of trouble with the Watch and I may just finally be able to start taking inventory of my shelves again. I need help around here and the hoodlums only want to help in exchange for goods that are far more expensive than the services they provided."

Sara looked to Ryu and then nodded to Tiga.

"We'll help you out." Tiga gave a relived smile and nodded.

"Good, now then, since you must be tired from the long travel, why not come in, get abite to eat, and rest for the day. We'll start off in the morning."

Sara and Ryu bid farewell to June and followed Tiga inside. Once he closed the door he gave them a look that demanded their attention.

"I had a feeling this day would come. Now then, the two of you listen here. Henry was a good friend of mine and so was his brother. That means I know _what_ and _who_ the two of you are. Listen, I don't mean to sound gruff but most people here think of dragons as fairy tales. If you absolutely _have_ to change form for a moment, I'll give you a transit paper and you can go outside the city and do whatever it is dragons do. And, one more thing, for good measure, do _NOT_ under any circumstances, speak about the Silver Knight or the Silver Tempest. It's a guaranteed way to get you in hot water with the Lord Sentinel." Sara sighed.

"I understand. We'll probably remain here until we're old enough to head out on our own again anyway." Tiga nodded.

"Very well then. Let's see... you must be Sara and that would make you... Ryu. Right. Your rooms are on the second floor, next to mine. Now then, the two rooms after that were Henry's and his brother's whenever he visited. Don't try to go snooping around unless you feel like you want to learn more about your Father's early life."

While Tiga went to prepare dinner, Ryu and Sara went upstairs to their rooms. Both were somewhat dusty and dark but that was easily remedied. Then, Sara got an idea and motioned for Ryu to follow her. They stopped just outside the room Tiga told them was their Father's. Ryu looked to her.

"I wonder what we'll find in there?" Sara shrugged and used a little bit of magic to force the lock open. The door slowly creaked open revealing a large room with a bed, a dresser, a table with a chair, and a portrait covered in dust. As Sara moved to brush the dust off the portrait, she gasped at what she saw.

There, holding a baby, was their Mother. However, the side on which their Father's face had once been was slashed from the portrait.


End file.
